Crime prevention is a cooperative effort between students, staff, faculty, visitors, and community partners. Our goal is to provide current and accurate information about crime, crime prevention, and campus security & safety issues at Gonzaga that enables community members to make good decisions about their safety & security.
- Walk with another person after dark or call CSPS at 509-313-2222 for a security escort
- Be aware of your surroundings and any signs that something is amiss or out of place
- Stay in well-lit areas and avoid alleys, dark corners and bushes whenever possible
- Keep a phone in hand and have CSPS or 911 on "speed dial" for unexpected emergency situations
- When walking to your vehicle, you should keep your keys in hand and ready to use when entering the parking lot or street
- Consider wearing or carrying medical identification if you have a chronic medical condition
- Identify police and fire stations, libraries, emergency telephones – as well as the hours of operation of local stores and restaurants
- Immediately call 911 in the presence of flames or smoke
- Do not intentionally set fire of items not intended to be burned including: furniture, books, posters, etc.
- Keep copies of records, important papers and documents stored in a safety deposit box, off site
- Keep important paperwork such as passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, etc. in a fireproof, locked box in your home
- Maintain functional home sprinkler systems and smoke detectors
- Gather all residents in the home to create an agreed upon home escape plan
- Perform a periodic inspection and eliminate typical fire hazards including: overloaded outlets, out-of-date electrical cords, space heaters within 3 feet of combustible materials, etc.
- Lock all doors while driving and after parking
- Help secure your vehicle against theft or burglary with an electronic alarm
- Keep a copy of your registration, insurance, and title in a safe place separate from your vehicle
- Store valuables out of sight or locked in the trunk, and do not keep visible change in the car
- If you don't use your car regularly, check on it every day or two
- Immediately report all thefts, as well as suspicious activity in parking lots and near parked cars, to CSPS at 509-313-2222
- Park in a well-lit area so you can see your car and the surroundings from as far away as possible.
- Glance into the back seat and floor boards of your car before you enter
- If you think you are being followed, do not go home. Go to a safe place such as a police station, fire station, business or other populated area and call 911
- Always keep doors and windows locked, including access to garages and sheds
- Consider installing solid core entry doors with reinforced door frames and dead bolt locks
- Keep your front, back and side doors well lit overnight
- Get to know your neighbors and share information about suspicious activities
- If going out of town, have a neighbor, friend or landlord perform periodic checks of the home
- Do not loan out office keys or allow them to be copied
- Keep your purse, wallet, or other valuables locked in a cabinet or drawer. Office thieves know the usual unlocked "hiding places"
- If your office will be unattended, even for just a minute, lock the door
- Record the description and serial numbers of office equipment- especially highly portable computer equipment
- Lock your computer screen whenever you are not using the computer, especially in a shared office environment
- Keep petty cash locked up at all times and make periodic checks of the amount
- Lock doors and close windows at the end of the working day
- Never prop exterior doors.
- If you see someone who appears lost or out of place, offer assistance with directions
- If an individual is hostile, evasive or a potential safety threat, immediately contact CSPS at 509-313-2222 with the location, description and behavior of the subject
- Close exterior doors behind you as you enter your hall. Do not allow anyone to enter who is not accompanied by another resident
- Escort your visitors to the exterior door when they leave
- Soliciting and sales are not allowed in the residence halls. Report solicitors you encounter to CSPS at 509-313-2222 and residence hall staff
- Do not prop exteriors door (even when it's hot) and immediately close those that you find open
- If a door lock is broken, call 509-313-5656 to report it. After hours and on weekends, call CSPS
- If you live on the ground floor or have a balcony keep your balcony doors and windows locked
- Be sure to lock your room door if you will be away, even for a minute, and when you are sleeping
- If possible, don’t walk alone during late-night hours
- If you feel unsafe, call CSPS at 509-313-2222 for a security escort
- Let a family member or friend know your destination and your estimated time of arrival or return
- Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible. Avoid alleys, vacant lots, wooded areas, and other short-cuts or secluded areas. They are usually not well-lit or heavily traveled
- Know the locations of blue light emergency telephones. They are a direct line to CSPS assistance
- Walk confidently, directly, and at a steady pace
- If you are wearing headphones, don’t turn up the volume so high that you cannot hear outside noises
- Identify police and fire stations, libraries, emergency telephones – as well as the hours of operation of local stores and restaurants