Safety Resources

Student safety is the #1 priority of USC. USC continuously enhances student resources and provides outreach to best protect students, in addition to educating students how to protect themselves. Most of the following services are provided by USC Department of Public Safety (DPS) and USC Transportation. Please watch the USC Safety video below and review the other sections for more information related to safety at USC.

Change Your Mindset—this is the first tip we always want to remind you once you arrive in L.A. We understand the differences of large cities in different countries, although it is true that no big city is immune to crimes. USC is located in the heart of Los Angeles (an urban school in a large city). In the U.S., urban areas usually have higher crime rates than rural parts. This is not only true to Los Angeles but also the same with New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, etc. USC is located in a large city with lots of opportunities and challenges.

Whether it happens to you or you’re a witness, you are responsible to call Public Safety 213-740-4321 or the Los Angeles Police Department (911) to report a crime.

DPS needs your help. Don’t let reporting be an afterthought. Immediately go to a safe place and call. Stay on the line and inform the dispatcher of everything you may remember regarding the suspect (clothing, features, vehicle, direction of travel, etc.). Keep the emergency numbers in your cell phone or wallet.

USC Department of Public Safety (DPS) and LAPD are doing their best to protect our students. A few highlights among our resources are:

DPS Patrol and Response Areas

Transportation

Bus Map & Schedules

Track a Bus

Campus Cruiser – A free USC taxi to take you home at night.
*Please note Campus Cruiser Program has been suspended until Spring 2022.

Free Lyft rides - still available at UPC and HSC. Students, faculty, and staff now have access to free rides provided by Lyft. The rides must be within the UPC or HSC geofence and be within a qualifying time frame.

Visit our Lyft page for more information.

Parking on Campus

Mobile “LiveSafe” App

Key features of the “LiveSafe” App include:

Immediate “push button” calls to either the Department of Public Safety or 911 for immediate response during an emergency.
Anonymous messaging for reporting suspicious behavior, unsafe situations, or any other safety concerns.
- A “Safewalk” function, that allows users to alert selected friends that they are on the way to a destination (for example, “On my way back to Parkside from Leavey Library, be there in 15 minutes”) so they can monitor their progress and help keep them safe.

Emergency or "Blue Light" Phones

Blue light emergency phones are located throughout the University Park and Health Sciences campuses. The phones are connected to the USC Department of Public Safety’s 24-hour communications center and identify the phone location if the caller is unable to talk. The phones can be used to request an escort, report suspicious activity, and report crimes.

Download a printable map of blue light phone locations.

TrojansAlert

Bike Registration

Why? –By registering your bicycle, you will help DPS identify your bike if it is lost, stolen, recovered, or impounded. There is no cost for the registration.

Laptop Recovery

For USC Students, Faculty, and Staff: Laptop Revcovery Software from Frontdoor Solutions
Leavey Library provides laptop cable locks at no cost to you to use while you are studying at the library. Visit the circulation desk located on the first floor to checkout a cable lock.

Lost and Found

If you have lost an item, you may call (213) 821-2626 at UPC, or (323) 442-1200 at HSC. You may also contact DPS here for Lost and Found services.

Campus Access Policy

The university reserves the right to restrict or prohibit access to university property and to prohibit certain activities on campus. Please review campus access policy and guest registration details here.

Safety Orientation

Safety Orientation is part of every semester’s Orientation for all USC students. We encourage all graduate students to attend the Viterbi Orientations to learn about campus services, student life, university policies, and resources available to you.

Viterbi New Students Safety Workshop

Viterbi provides a safety workshop to all incoming graduate students at the beginning of Spring and Fall semester. It is a good opportunity for students to ask questions and communicate directly with DPS officers. Please look out for the Safety Workshop invitations in your email inbox. And here is a recording of one of the workshops:

Viterbi Safety Workshop

Active Shooter Training

Tailored for students, faculty and staff, this training addresses what to do in the event of an active shooter on campus and discusses the options of “Run, Hide or Fight.” The presentation takes about an hour.

For more information contact our training coordinator, Sergeant Pablo Ayala at (213) 740-6419 or PAyala@dps.usc.edu.

Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Training for Women

RAD is designed to teach women defensive concepts and techniques useful against various types of assault utilizing easy, effective, and proven self-defense/martial arts tactics. The RAD System is a comprehensive, internationally recognized course taught by nationally-certified instructors.

DPS operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment conducive to learning.

300+ DPS and LAPD officers patrol and respond to calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
UPC Patrol and Response Area Map
100+ cameras are installed around campus and monitored by officers all the time.
Contemporary Services Corporation (CSC) Security Ambassadors as known as “Yellow Jackets” are standing at most of the road crossings 24/7 to observe and report suspicious or criminal activities and to also serve as a point of contact for students and visitors.

Published on June 4th, 2017Last updated on March 13th, 2025