Safety and Security
Campus safety and security is coordinated by the University Police Department, which has a force of 11 sworn police officers with full arrest powers. As an armed police department, patrol members respond to all emergencies, dispatched by four professionally trained dispatchers.
State University of New York Police Officers must meet the highest standards in New York State for Law Enforcement Officers. The officers have passed a basic training program administered by the State University of New York State Police Academy in Albany, NY or a local regional Police Academy, and undergo continuous training to upgrade their skills. Officers have been trained in emergency medical procedures and first aid. They conduct foot, bike, and vehicular patrols on the campus and residence hall areas 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The objectives of the University Police are to provide a safe environment for teaching, research, and social endeavors and to protect the lives and property of the students, employees, and visitors of Alfred State College.
Crime Prevention & Safety Tips
General
- Situational Awareness: Be aware of your surroundings!
- Suspicious persons and/or activity should be reported to the University Police.
- University Police want to hear if you observe violence or hate to be investigated.
- Emergency: Know how to contact our fully sworn University Police on duty 24/7/365:
- Cell or off campus dial 607-587-3999
- Campus phone dial 3999
- Blue Light Phones (emergencies only): Know their locations throughout campus.
- Police available to escort any student if they feel unsafe in an environment.
- Walk-in UPD lobby open 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
- Participate in free self-defense classes or Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) offered by the University Police.
- Anonymous online tip-line at Alfred State Silent Witness to report unsafe activity.
- Locked residence halls 24/7 so only residents from that building can enter.
- Residence hall rooms should be locked once inside.
- Cell phones should be readily available to use when you see aggression.
- Security camera network on campus serves multiple buildings and many outdoor sites.
- Self-Defense Academic Classes for anyone interested offered each fall and spring.
- University Police will conduct RAD Courses free of charge when requested.
- An active text alert system through our RAVE Alert System.
- Allegany County 911 Response Center is available (emergencies only).
- Program the University Police in your phone for non-emergency contact 607-587-3999
Walking
- Familiarize yourself with the campus buildings and streets.
- Avoid walking or jogging alone at night.
- Walk in well-lit areas, avoid shortcuts or dark areas.
- Utilize the “buddy system” whenever possible, walk with a friend or group.
- If you feel that you are being followed or do not feel safe walking to your dorm, call University Police immediately. We are available to escort you to your destination.
- Avoid distractions while walking to and from your destination. Remove your earbuds or turn down your music, be cautious while texting and gaming.
- Always stay alert.
Property
- Always lock your doors and windows, even if you are home.
- Never leave your belongings unattended - even if you are only stepping away briefly.
- Do not leave valuables in plain sight.
- Do not leave exterior doors propped open.
- Get to know your RA, residence life staff, and neighbors.
Social Media
- Do not post your daily routine/schedule on social media.
- Be careful of what kind of information you post. Once it is on the internet, it is no longer private.
- Report "fight videos" on social media for a proper response to violence.
- Change passwords to emails/other accounts every couple of months.
- Never give your passwords to anyone- not even significant others!
- Do not allow others to have access to your personal information.
- Use a password to lock your electronic devices while they are not in use.
- Be careful shopping online by only using trusted sites.
Staying Safe on Social Media and How to Report Abuse
Alfred State supports free expression while also opposing harassment, defamation, threats to personal safety, invasion of privacy or confidentiality, cyberbullying, and unethical use of social media. Before sharing any message, ask yourself if posting or commenting would promote questionable, degrading, violent, or illegal activity. To be a responsible member of the community, you should also be certain of the accuracy and value of a message before sharing it.
Alfred State Pioneers must be accountable for our own actions. Do not encourage, promote, or participate in messages that are violent or hateful, insensitive or contrary to your values, from unreliable sources, could injure your good standing in the community, or violate the college's Principles of Community and Student Code of Conduct. In situations involving aggressive, violent, illegal, and/or threatening behavior contact UPD at 607-587-3999.
Most social media outlets observe their own community guidelines and have readily accessible options for reporting questionable social media content.
Facebook Visit the Report Content on Facebook help page for instructions on how to report different types of content; profiles, posts, photos, messages, pages, groups, etc. Along with reporting abuse, Facebook also provides tips to stay safe, learn about privacy settings, and keeping your account secure.
Instagram Visit the Report Abusive, Inappropriate, or Offensive Content on Instagram page for instructions to report photos and comments. Along with reporting abuse, Instagram also provides tips to stay safe, account privacy, and bullying.
Snapchat Visit the How to Report Abuse or Illegal Content page to report snaps, stories, profiles, chats, etc.
TikTok Visit the Report a Problem page for instructions to report issues about comments, messages, someone, videos, etc.
X (Twitter) Respond to questions on X’s form to report issues you are having.
YouTube Visit YouTube’s site to report inappropriate videos, channels, shorts, playlists, comments, etc.