security
PS Fayette
The safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors on Penn State’s campuses and in its facilities is always the University’s top priority. As a public university, we strive to balance fostering a friendly, open campus environment with maintaining safety and security for all who visit, work, learn and live at Penn State locations.
Penn State employs a full-service police department with sworn police officers who have full law enforcement authority at 22 campuses. As part of our effort to create a safe environment for all, we employ a number of security measures and technologies on our campuses, including — but not limited to — alarm systems, emergency phones, law enforcement patrols and 24/7 surveillance cameras at many locations across campus, which can be “live viewed” during campus events.
Penn State continually reviews and adjusts its safety approach to anticipate and meet campus security needs. The University’s Police and Public Safety (UPPS) unit has resources and processes in place to prepare for, investigate and respond to a variety of emergency situations on Fayette campus, as well as prevention protocols for deterring possible crimes such as regular patrols, numerous avenues for reporting suspicious activities, and education programs for students, faculty or staff, to name a few.
Depending on the situation and circumstances, Penn State can quickly adjust its campus security posture — such as changing/stopping card access to facilities, securing buildings, or calling on other campus police or outside law enforcement organizations for assistance. During major events or gatherings, campus police proactively scale security measures to increase police presence and may bring in outside law enforcement agencies for additional support if needed.
To enhance emergency preparedness and prevention efforts, Penn State years ago established the Penn State
When a crime is reported or a threat is made, police immediately respond and start an investigation to determine suspects or whether a threat is credible before sharing information broadly with the extended community via Penn State’s official notification channels, including the
For off-campus safety, UPPS has working relationships with multiple local municipal law enforcement agencies. UPPS collaborates across Penn State’s campuses to work closely with local and federal law enforcement agencies on potential safety concerns that may arise, and engages in preparation, training, educational efforts, providing resources and other measures for its officers.
Also, every two years, University Police conduct a survey at all campuses of citizen attitudes and opinions related to agency performance, competency of employees, perception of officers, community concern over safety, and recommendations and suggestions for improvement. These efforts are important not only for creating a community of cooperation and trust, but also in providing education and information that leads to awareness, crime prevention and safer communities.
Everyone has a shared responsibility to keep our campuses safe by maintaining a constant awareness of what is around you, taking note of unusual activities and immediately reporting any concerns to police, including posts that may be seen on social media. We want people to share critical information, even if a report does not lead to anything actionable, we want to know about it quickly so that we are in the best position to protect our community.
Every member of our community, whether off campus or on, should keep their personal safety at the forefront of any activity in which they engage. Police remind students to:
- Remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings — being situationally aware is always a first line of defense
- Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, leave.
- Lock your vehicle
- Vary your route and schedule.
- Keep the door to your residence locked at all times
- Never loan anyone your key
- Do not leave the exterior doors of your building unlocked or propped open and lock windows near ground level
- Have a backup plan for communication in case of limited cell phone service
- Maintain a relationship with your neighbors
- Make sure outside lighting works
- Report any suspicious activity to police by calling
To report a crime or suspicious activities online, visit
PennWest California
We urge students and staff to practice practical safety and security guidance on-campus and in the local community, including:
- Being mindful not to hold doors or otherwise allow individuals that do not live in our residence halls to enter. We recognize this can be challenging, but simply saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t let you in,” or asking/waiting for people to use their PennWest ID to enter can go a long way.
- Always lock and secure all doors and windows to your residence hall or room on and off-campus as a preventive measure.
- When traveling after hours, be mindful of your surroundings, travel in groups or with a friend, not consumed by your phone.
- Register your cell phone so you receive texts alert that can make you aware of an ongoing threat and what location to avoid.
- If you see someone who consumed too much alcohol, call the police to get them help, medical amnesty will apply.
- On campus students should call Campus Police at 724-938-4357 (HELP) to report any safety concern or suspicious activities. The Campus Police are on duty 24/7 and are here to help. If something doesn’t feel right, call.
- Off -campus students with immediate safety concerns or observations of suspicious activities should call the California Boro Police Department at 911 or 724-938-3233.
Please be reminded that crime victims can seek and receive support, services, and information from a variety of officials and offices on campus, including those who are confidential resources, by contacting the Campus Police Office.
PennWest California offers resources for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment and stalking: