UC Santa Cruz Police Department

Reporting Procedures

It is important that all crimes, emergencies, and/or suspicious, disturbing, or threatening behaviors occurring on campus be immediately reported to the Police Department to ensure that appropriate action can be taken. Emergencies requiring police, fire, or medical aid can be reported in person or by dialing 911 from any campus phone, cell phone, or landline phone. Emergencies can also be reported by using one of the "Blue Light" emergency phones or elevator phones located throughout the campus. If there is a fire and no telephone is available, activate one of the fire alarm manual pull stations located throughout campus buildings.

Public safety services are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year at the UCSC PD main police station located at 114 Carriage House Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95064. Activities or incidents occurring outside of the UC Santa Cruz jurisdiction should be reported immediately to the agency having jurisdiction for the location where the incident occurred. If an individual is uncertain which agency should take the report, UC Santa Cruz Police can help determine which one is appropriate and refer the individual to that agency.

Phone Numbers To Call

• 9-1-1 for any emergency situation with serious threat to life or property.
• (831) 459-2345. If unable to call 9-1-1 from the phone being used for any emergency situation with serious threat to life or property.
• (831) 459-4980: Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, 24 hours.
• (831) 459-2231: Ext 1. Non-emergency calls for assistance.
• (831) 459-2100: Community Safety Program Dispatch Line, 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. nightly.
• (831) 459-3TIP or (831) 459-3847: Anonymous Tip Line.

Lost and Found

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department provides a lost and found service. Only items valued at approximately $300 or more are accepted, and are kept for 90 days. Exceptions are made for found wallets, cash, driver licenses or identification cards, bank cards, and keys. To drop off a found item or to inquire about a lost item, please visit the Police Department or call (831) 459-2231.

Residential Community Service Partners

Residential Community Service Partners (RCSPs) are employees of the Residential Life Program within Colleges, Housing and Educational Services and work in conjunction with the UC Santa Cruz Police, Santa Cruz City Fire, and the administration of university residential communities (both on- and off-campus) to ensure a safe and secure living environment for all residents.

RCSPs work in teams and are trained to assist police and fire departments with emergency response, first aid, CPR, and disaster response, across campus and in all residential communities. They carry radios linked to the UC Santa Cruz Police Dispatch Center and are visible in the communities at night from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. RCSPs may be contacted through the UC Santa Cruz Police Dispatch Center at (831) 459-2100.

Residential Community Service Partners (RCSPs) offer a wide variety of services to the residential communities including:

• assistance with lockouts
• securing buildings
• providing first aid
• assisting with noise complaints
• assistance with documenting policy violations
• assistance with nighttime maintenance issues
• assisting with calls for fire, medical, or crisis assistance
• assistance with quality of life concerns
• residential event security

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security and Campus Crime Statistics Act

Choosing a postsecondary institution is a major decision for students and their families. Along with academic, financial and geographic considerations, the issue of campus safety is a vital concern. In 1990, Congress enacted the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, which amended the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). This act required all postsecondary institutions participating in HEA’s Title IV student financial assistance programs to disclose campus crime statistics and security information. The act was amended in 1992, 1998, and 2000. The 1998 amendments renamed the law the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act in memory of a student who was slain in her dorm room in 1986. It is generally referred to as the Clery Act. More information about the Clery Act can be found at: Clery Center.

Campus Security Authorities

Although UC Santa Cruz has a police department, victims of crime may be more inclined to report to someone other than the police. For this reason the Clery Act requires all institutions to collect crime reports from a variety of individuals and organizations that the Clery Act refers to as Campus Security Authorities (CSA). The term campus security authority, or CSA, is a Clery-specific term encompassing four groups of individuals and organizations associated with an institution:

• A campus police department or a campus security department of an institution.
• Any individual or individuals who have responsibility for campus security but who do not constitute a campus police department or a campus security department (e.g., an individual who is responsible for monitoring the entrance into institutional property).
• Any individual or organization specified in an institution’s statement of campus security policy as an individual or organization to which students and employees should report criminal offenses.
• An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, student housing, student discipline, and campus judicial proceedings. An official is defined as any person with the authority and the duty to take action or respond to particular issues on behalf of the institution.

CSAs are responsible for reporting crimes and incidents that occur on the UC Santa Cruz campus or affiliated property to the UC Santa Cruz Police Department. More information about CSA responsibility is located at UCSC’s Ethics & Compliance webpage.

Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report

On Oct.1 of each year, an email notification is sent to all enrolled students and to academic and staff personnel, providing the website link to the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by UC Santa Cruz; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.

The report also includes information on fire protection systems, fire prevention policies, as well as institutional policies concerning other safety and security matters. You can obtain a printed copy of this report by contacting the UC Santa Cruz Police Department at 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 or (831) 459-2231.

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department assists the Clery Act Compliance Officer with compiling the annual crime and fire statistics published in this report. The statistical information gathered by the Department of Education is available to the public through the Department of Education website.

Consequences for Non-Compliance with the Clery Act

Possible consequences for an institution’s non-compliance with the Clery Act include:

• A suspension or limiting of the institutions Title IV funding;
• The Department of Education may issue a civil fine per each violation;
• The institution may suffer reputational loss due to negative media attention;
• Failure to comply with the Clery Act can be used in various litigation matters.

Increased Safety Measures and Safeguards

Pursuant to California Education Code section 67380, each UC campus is required to provide information regarding special safeguards that have been established for particular facilities or activities in the preceding 18 months to increase safety, and any changes in safety precautions expected to be made during the future 24 months. You can review the full plan detailing current and future safety measures in the 2024 Campus Safety Plan.

As of fall 2024, actions in the past 18 months to increase safety include:

• Active Shooter Recovery Tabletop Exercise conducted with campus leadership and key operational stakeholders;
• new Emergency Response Guide published to provide students, staff, and faculty with information on how to respond when faced with a variety of hazards and incidents;
• Emergency Preparedness Training provided to students, staff, and faculty providing an overview of the campus environment, emergency alert system, response procedures, and preparedness action items;
• new well-marked and highly visible RCSP vehicle that RCSP staff uses to conduct community checks in the Affiliated Residential Community Housing areas (Family Student Housing, University Town Center, The Village, Graduate Student Housing);
• use of electric carts for RCSP staff to respond to calls more quickly within the residential college areas;
• tabling at Cornucopia (major fall quarter welcome event) to educate students about available services RCSP provides, including lock-outs, facilities emergencies, safety walking escorts;
• partnership between RCSP and Emergency Medical Slugs (EMS) to provide on-site first aid at events and functions, including unplanned or unsanctioned events on weekend nights;
• began offering staff De-Escalation Training of RCSP team for contacts with individuals with unique needs;
• each RCSP staff member received a new highly portable first aid kit to be carried while in the community;
• UCSC PD conducted several active shooter presentations to various campus units/departments;
• UCSC PD conducted CPR training for dining services; and
• UCSC PD conducted presentations for campus/traffic safety to maintenance staff and TAPS staff.

As of fall 2024, anticipated changes in safety precautions during the next 24 months include:

• new on-demand Emergency Preparedness training developed as an eLearning course or to be delivered in-person or remotely;
• implementation of an Individualized Emergency Evacuation Plan specifically tailored for individuals with Access and Functional Needs;
• rollout of new Department Emergency Action Plans that meet Cal-OSHA Section 3220 requirements and include new language on Access and Functional Needs. Planning priorities are aligned with departments who contribute to Emergency Support Functions.
• approval and implementation of the UC Santa Cruz Emergency Response Framework developed in alignment with the FEMA Comprehensive Planning Guide, which outlines how the University responds to incidents using proactive mechanisms and sets the foundation for the development of function specific annexes;
• additional electric carts to be deployed to other zones to increase mobility and response time of RCSP staff;
• De-Escalation Training to be provided to the entire RCSP Department for contacts with individuals with unique needs.
• continued tabling at the Fall 2024 and 2025 Cornucopia (major fall quarter welcome event) to educate students about the services RCSP provides;
• increased involvement in orientation programs to familiarize students with RCSP staff and their roles;
• implementation of Silvertrack software for CSA program to facilitate real-time processing and photo assist for more timely incident reporting;
• begin to replace aging patrol vehicles which are frequently unavailable due to maintenance or service issues;
• increase training opportunities for sworn staff members;
• seek grant funding for Dispatch Center improvements and upgrades;
• seek IACLEA accreditation by October 2024; and
• increase safety training presentations for campus by UCSC PD.

Night Safety Escort Service Provided By Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS)

Request a free “Safe Ride” from one location on the residential campus to another. Safe Ride is staffed by student operators and is available from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., seven days a week when classes are in session during fall, winter, and spring quarters. This service provides a safe and reliable means of transit from one location to another on campus and ensures the safety of students who feel endangered or unsafe during night hours. Learn more at the Safe Ride website.

Tools for Navigating the UC Santa Cruz Campus

The Wayfinding Workgroup seeks to improve the tools available for navigating the campus. It has worked on improving temporary signage, recommended improvements to the campus entrance, and developed a pilot project in the Science Hill area. Over the next two years, the group’s tasks include writing a campus policy on signage and developing outreach to inform campus constituents about the best ways to direct people to specific locations.

The campus is also in the process of developing a Master Pedestrian Plan to promote walking as the most sustainable way to traverse the campus. The final plan will include an assessment of existing conditions, including gaps in the pedestrian infrastructure, and a plan to create a more pedestrian-friendly campus.

In a parallel effort, Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) is revising the information posted at each transit stop, including an overall map of the campus, and an enlarged map of the half-mile radius surrounding each stop. TAPS has also launched a bus tracking system app (developed in conjunction with the campus Computer Science Department) that allows riders to see each active campus shuttle in real time on a campus map.