Campus Safety Tips

University community members can take several measures to protect themselves against crimes:

1. Keep emergency numbers nearby, or programmed in your telephone.
   
   
2. Be aware of your surroundings, and convey confidence through body language. Have your key ready upon entering a vehicle, residence hall or office building.
   
   
3. Walk in well lit areas. If possible, walk with trusted, especially at night or in areas with limited visibility.
   
   
4. Be familiar with the emergency call boxes, courtesy telephones and their locations on campus.
   
   
5. Trust your instincts if you suspect you are being followed. Change directions or head for a campus building, group of trusted people, or emergency call box.
   
   
6. Avoid car theft by:
   • Never leaving keys in the ignition of an unattended vehicle.
   • Locking doors, rolling up windows, closing the top of convertible vehicles and sun/moon roofs, and utilizing an anti-theft device.
   • Parking the vehicle in well-lit areas at night.
   
   
7. In residence halls:
   • Never prop open room doors or any residence hall door.
   • Report any maintenance deficiencies immediately.
   • Do not admit unauthorized or uninvited persons into a residence hall or room.
   • Keep valuables out of sight and locked in a box or closet.
   • Keep your door locked at all times.
   
   
8. In work buildings and offices:
   • Never prop open an exterior door to your work building.
   • If entering a locked building, make sure it closes and locks behind you.
   • Lock your office, even if you are only leaving for a short period of time.
   • Secure your purse, wallet or any other valuable items in a locked closet or drawer.
   • Contact the University Police Department if something in your office or work building doesn't seem right or causes you to be suspicious.
   
   
9. Do not loan your room, office or building keys to others.
   • Lost or stolen keys should be reported immediately.
   • Employees should notify their immediate supervisor, the University Police, and Physical Plant to complete a Best Lock Key report form.
   • Resident students should notify the Office of Residence Life.
   
   
10. Never give out personal information about yourself to strangers on the phone or over the Internet. This information includes, but is not limited to:
    • Your name, student I.D. number, phone number
    • Social Security Number
    • Credit card numbers
    • Use your best judgment when receiving unsolicited calls, and report any suspicious or persistent calls to the University Police Department.
    
    
11. Do not carry or flash large sums of cash.
    
    
12. Do not leave valuables unattended.
    • Avoid the temptation to leave backpacks, purses, notebook computers, etc., unattended, even for a short period of time.
    
    
13. Use the safety escort service sponsored by the University Police Department.
    • On-campus safety escorts are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week by calling x3330 from an on-campus telephone, or by calling (210) 436-3330 from an off-campus telephone. When calling to request an escort, please state your current location and your destination.


14. Mark valuable property with an engraver to increase your chances of recovering the property if it is stolen.
    • This service is provided free of charge through the University Police Department's Operation I.D. program.


15. Report suspicious persons and criminal activity to the University Police Department immediately.


16. Ask a University Police Officer for further campus and personal safety tips. They are happy to address any questions or concerns that you have about safety on campus.

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Correct procedures in dialing international calls

If placing an international call, dial 9 and wait for a dial tone before proceeding with the rest of the numbers. This will keep you from accidently dialing SAPD 9-1-1 and tying up a dispatcher for a false call.

What to do if you accidentally dial SAPD 9-1-1

If you accidently contact SAPD Dispatchers, stay on the line and say, "it was a mistake and there is no emergency." Properly communicating that there is no emergency saves SAPD dispatchers from having to call St. Mary's back to see if there was a real emergency, and instead they are able to handle other emergency calls in their queue.