Frequently Asked Questions

The Department of Campus Safety provides safety and security for the NYU community and its property, enabling the pursuit of academic and professional goals.

The Department’s core values are:

Professionalism: Exemplifying trusted, professional service with integrity, compassion and respect.

Excellence: Providing exceptional service through strategic planning and high-level performance, advancing preparedness in our diverse environments.

Community: Fostering diversity by cultivating strong partnerships with all members of our community.

Campus Safety has two locations ready to serve the NYU community:

7 Washington Place is open weekdays offering Lost and Found Services from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and ID Card Services from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

561 LaGuardia Place is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week offering Security Services.

For emergencies, Campus Safety can be reached by calling 212.998.2222 or by chatting via the Safe NYU app. These contact points are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Campus Safety’s administrative offices can be reached at 212.998.1300. This line is available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Campus Safety manages the following services for New York University in New York City: security services, victim services, protective services, external affairs, special events management, lost and found, transportation services, fleet management, security technology services, ID card services and training.

Campus Safety works together with colleagues in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai to provide safety and security services at NYU’s portal campuses, and manages contract security at NYU’s 11 study away sites.

Safety tips are available on our website and are included in the Safe NYU app. Campus Safety also regularly provides Safety in the City presentations and other programs and events throughout the academic year.

To request a safety presentation, contact our Community Response Unit at dps.cru@nyu.edu.

Contact Campus Safety by emailing campussafetylink@nyu.edu to advise them that you will be expecting a visitor to your residence hall, classroom, office, or other NYU location. Someone from our team will respond with any questions or requests for additional information.

Contact our Global Card Systems and Security division by filling out our Technical Services Request Form within CampusSafetyLink to request a security assessment. A security assessment may be necessary before, during, or after construction or maintenance work in and around NYU facilities to ensure compliance with security design and operational standards. The assessment will ensure that technology can be appropriately placed, replaced or removed, in order to safeguard University assets.

Campus Safety maintains a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We encourage the community to follow us on these platforms to learn more about who Campus Safety is, and how we provide safety and security for the NYU community.

A: Yes, the Department of Public Safety changed its name to the Department of Campus Safety in August 2021.

A: The Department changed its name to more closely align community expectations with the services it is equipped to provide.

A: Not much! The professional, excellent service you’ve come to expect will remain, as will all current services. You will notice that the Department’s buildings, vehicles, uniforms and other physical items will be changed over the coming weeks and months, as well as the naming language on our website and social media.

A: No, the Department will continue to provide the same services and work under the same general orders, processes and procedures as governed by its accredited status under CALEA, a global accreditation agency.

A: Please feel free to email us at campus.safety@nyu.edu and we'll get back to you.

 

Campus Safety Officers are entrusted to maintain the safety and security of the NYU community and its property. On campus, Campus Safety Officers control access at building entrances and detect, deter, and report incidents.

No. NYU’s Campus Safety Officers maintain a New York State security guard license. This license does not grant the authority to make an arrest of any individual.

No. Campus Safety Officers do not carry weapons.

Campus Safety will take a report when a community member calls our Communications Center at 212.998.2222 from any location. However, officers will not respond physically to an incident not occurring within a facility owned, leased or maintained by NYU. Depending on the circumstances, we may share information with the NYPD to assist in a response off campus.

You should expect professional, excellent service to be provided to the NYU community at all times. This includes courteous greetings and helpful interactions, such as providing directions and signing in guests. You can share feedback by filling out our web comment form.

We take pride in providing professional, excellent service to our community. Please let us know if you have an unsatisfactory experience with one of our team members by filling out our web comment form. Submissions can be anonymous by writing ‘anonymous’ in the email line.

All current NYU Community Members are required by the Clery Act - a federal law - to receive timely notification of significant incidents on campus. NYU accomplishes this through its Timely Warning / NYU Clery Campus Notice messages.

Due to applicable federal law, the University is not able to offer an option to unsubscribe current community members from these messages.

If you are not a current NYU community member and believe you are receiving Timely Warning notifications in error, please email campus.safety@nyu.edu to request that you be removed from the list.

For more information about the Clery Act and how it informs the Department’s decision making regarding timely warnings and incident classification, please visit our Clery Act Reporting pages.

We release information that we are able to verify, either by way of the complainant’s report and/or any available investigative measures (for example, video review). Sharing information responsibly is a priority for us, understanding the dependency our community may have on it.

ID cards grant NYU community members access to campus buildings and events through either taps, swipes, or visual confirmation by Campus Safety Officers. ID cards also enable community members to pay for meals, gain entrance to the athletic facilities, and can assist in other tasks on and off campus. ID cards help Campus Safety ensure that the NYU community and its property remain a safe and secure environment.

You may be asked to show your ID card when entering NYU facilities that are not equipped with turnstiles or gates. A Campus Safety Officer at the location will visually confirm the validity of your ID card to ensure that only permitted NYU community members are accessing the facility.

ID cards may be picked up in two locations on campus in New York: at 7 Washington Place on Washington Square, and at 2 MetroTech at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering campus in Brooklyn.

Business hours for the Card Center located on the Washington Square campus in Manhattan are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Business hours for the Card Center located at the Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays only.

NYU community members may only pick up an ID that is assigned to them.

For first-year students, we recommend that they submit their photo prior to coming to campus.

For community members already on campus, a photo can be taken at either the 7 Washington Place or 2 MetroTech Card Center locations.

For online students, we encourage them to submit their photos online.

For questions, please contact the Card Center at nyucard@nyu.edu or 212-443-CARD (2273). You can also visit the NYU ID Card website for more information.

Please visit Albert (for students) or PeopleSync (for faculty and administrators) to add a chosen/preferred name to your profile. This chosen/preferred name will be available to Card Center staff for printing purposes 24 hours after the update has been made in Albert or PeopleSync.

This is fine, as long as your chosen/preferred name is included in NYU's systems of record - Albert for students, or PeopleSync for faculty and administrators - for the Card Center to be able to verify your identity and print your new ID card.

No. There is no fee for updating your card for a change in legal, chosen/preferred name, or to have a photo that reflects your gender identity/expression.

No. Card Center staff work from the University's systems of record (Albert and PeopleSync) and do not have access to update personal information.

It takes approximately 24 hours for NYU's systems to update and for the Card Center to receive your information. If you prefer, you can contact the Card Center at nyucard@nyu.edu or 212-443-CARD (2273) before visiting in person to ensure your information is correct and available to be printed on a new card.

Yes. You are only permitted to carry one NYU ID card at a time. If you are in possession of an NYU ID card, you must surrender it when you receive your updated card.

NYU community members studying at New York, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi can use their original ID card at any of the three campuses, no matter where it was obtained. For example, a student who begins studies in Shanghai can use the same ID card in Abu Dhabi or New York without needing to obtain a new card.

Lost and Found is located on the ground floor / 1st floor at Campus Safety’s 7 Washington Place location. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Lost and Found is closed on the weekends.

• Mobile Devices /Laptops/Tablets

• MP3 players/iPods/portable speakers

• Wallets/Purses

• Eyewear

• Backpacks

• Keys

• Jewelry

• Textbooks

• Items having ownership information

• Clothing items

• Water bottles

• Perishable items / Food

• Flammable items (lighters, vape pens, etc.)

• Small recreational items (soccer balls, frisbees, baseballs, etc.)

• Personal grooming items (combs, brushes, bows, ribbons, scrunchies, etc.)

• Intentionally abandoned property (electronic equipment that obviously does not work, damaged furniture, items placed by trash containers for disposal, etc.)

• Umbrellas

Items are kept for a maximum of 30 days after they are received.

You can reach Lost and Found by calling 212.998.1305 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays or emailing lost.found@nyu.edu. You can also visit the Lost and Found website for more information.

1. Any student event where alcoholic beverages will be served.

2. Events where VIPs are visiting and have armed security. That security must be on-duty State, Federal, or Local law enforcement personnel.

3. Any tented events.

4. Events that are open to the public where controversial speakers will be present.

Events are taken on a case by case basis and a determination on appropriate security levels is made after the specifics of the event have been relayed to NYU DCS.

Please fill out the Security Staffing Request Form located on our CampusSafetyLink page to request security services for events or extra hours.

The cost of service depends on the size and scope of an event or request.

Current Officer billable rates are $62.75 per hour and Supervisor billable rates are $77.00 per hour.

Effective September 1, 2023, the new Officer rates will be $64.00 per hour and Supervisor billable rates will be $78.50 per hour.

Please fill out the Security Staffing Request Form for more information.

We ask that staffing requests are made more than 7 days before the date it is needed. Requests made less than 2 days in advance may incur short-notice fees.

Yes, a short notice fee of $225 will be assessed for any requests made 48 business hours or less prior to the event.

Yes. Campus Safety can assist with providing security for VIP guests. Please fill out the Security Staffing Request Form for assistance with VIP security.

The Technical Services Unit provides troubleshooting and maintenance support for Campus Safety’s security technology.

Campus Safety supports security technology including cameras, turnstiles, card readers, alarms, and other pieces of technology.

Please fill out the Technical Services Request Form on our CampusSafetyLink page to contact the unit for assistance.

Please fill out the Technical Services Request Form on our CampusSafetyLink page to contact the unit for assistance.

The best way to report an incident is to call Campus Safety’s Communications Center at +1.212.998.2222. You can also chat with Campus Safety via the Safe NYU app, or contact the nearest Campus Safety Officer.

Campus Safety answers calls to the Communications Center within two rings. Depending on the circumstances, Campus Safety, NYPD or both may respond to the scene.

You should report anything that you think may be considered a criminal incident or violation. These could be the loss of property, harassment, criminal mischief, assault or other incidents. Campus Safety can then help determine the appropriate response.

Incidents reported to the Department of Campus Safety are reviewed for pertinent details and classified according to the Clery Act Handbook definitions and/or applicable local law. New York University is committed to providing a secure environment for the campus community. As part of that effort, the University offers a variety of communications on safety issues, including the Daily Crime Log of incidents reported to the Department of Campus Safety, timely warning notifications via NYU Safety Alerts, and NYU Alert emergency notifications, collectively keeping the campus community informed via phone, text messaging, email, and other channels of communication.

When seconds count, getting to the right service immediately is critical. Below are some guidelines.

Call 911 when lives may be at stake, or there is the prospect of serious injury, serious crime, or serious danger:

• medical emergencies

• fires

• violent crimes, particularly if the criminal may be still in the vicinity and/or if the crime involves a weapon

• active threat incidents 

In instances like these, we at Campus Safety would call 911.

Call NYU's Department of Campus Safety (212.998.2222) for:

• incidents of non-violent theft

• suspicious activity

• trespassing

• inquiries regarding security services in buildings, including ID cards and CC camera footage

• all other non-violent crimes

Generally speaking, if it is a life-threatening emergency or crime, call 911.  For all other incidents, please feel free to call us at Campus Safety at 212-998-2222. We would also encourage you to alert Campus Safety on emergency matters after calling 911 in order to access support services and coordinate follow up enforcement.

The best way to provide feedback is by filling out our web comment form. Submissions can be anonymous by filling in ‘anonymous’ in the email line.

You will receive an automated reply notifying you that your comment was received. You will also receive an initial response from a member of Campus Safety noting that your comment was routed to the appropriate team members for review. A campus safety team member may contact you with additional questions or requests for information based on your comment.

Yes. Submissions can be anonymous by writing ‘anonymous’ in the email line.

NYU offers seven fixed shuttle bus routes operating throughout the academic year, Safe Ride overnight service, charter services, and fleet management.

Any member of the NYU community who is carrying a valid NYU ID card is eligible to use NYU’s transportation services.

NYU’s bus schedule provides information for all seven shuttle bus routes.

Structured much like consumer rideshare services, Safe Ride offers point-to-point rides after regular shuttle bus hours between campus facilities in Manhattan. Powered by Via, the service operates from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m during the academic term.

You can provide feedback regarding all transportation services by filling out the Transportation Services feedback form.

Safe NYU is New York University’s free mobile campus safety app, developed by the Department of Campus Safety and its Global Resiliency and Security division.

NYU community members with an active net ID are able to access the Safe NYU app.

The app provides safety and security services, including: 911-calling capability for life-threatening situations, push notifications, mobile blue light: simultaneously send your location and call NYU Campus Safety, and reporting of incidents or tips via in-app forms, real-time chats or voice calls.

You can provide feedback on the Safe NYU app by tapping the About/Preferences icon on the app’s landing page, and choosing “Send App Feedback” and then “Compose Email”. Your comments will be routed to the Global Resiliency and Security division.

NYU Campus Safety Officers take part in annual in-service training each October. All uniformed personnel receive annual in-service training on topics mandated by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services as a prerequisite for renewal of their security guard license. The training program takes place over seven days (40 hours per trainee). In addition to the state-mandated training program, personnel complete training in the following areas - active shooter response, emergency preparedness, security camera / access control and CPR / AED. Topics are selected to address and respond to identified needs in support of professionalizing DCS personnel. 

In order to prepare for the CALEA assessment, specialized training sessions were incorporated into annual training programs for the Department’s more than 300 officers. This training included specific attention to published general orders, making Campus Safety Officers, Sergeants, Lieutenants, and Captains aware of their responsibilities.

Campus Safety provides “Safety in the City” training sessions to NYU community members through its Community Response Unit. These trainings include how to stay safe on campus, in urban areas, at night, and online. Campus Safety also offers Campus Security Authorities training to administrators and students through our Training team.

Those interested in a presentation for their classroom, office or department should contact our Training team at dcs-community-engagement@nyu.edu.

Accreditation is a process whereby campus security agencies like NYU’s Department of Campus Safety must adhere to over 290 industry standards and best practices. To learn more about the accreditation process, you can visit our Accreditation page and view a video about the process.

Being accredited means that an organization has successfully implemented written directives, general orders, and other procedures to create a standardized, professional department, that is capable of responding successfully and consistently to the needs of its community. The NYU Department of Campus Safety is the largest university campus security department to earn this prestigious recognition.

Campus Safety provides assistance to NYU community members abroad through NYU Traveler, a system that stores travel itineraries submitted by NYU community members so they can be used if and when emergencies occur abroad.

When you register a trip, NYU's Department of Campus Safety can reach out to help you in case of an emergency at your destination. Before you go, we can alert you when weather or labor strikes might disrupt your itinerary. While you are away, we can establish contact when a local incident might impact you. Share your plans on NYU Traveler so our team can connect with you in critical moments.

For more information, you can visit the NYU Traveler website, or contact the team at travelsafety@nyu.edu.

The Department of Campus Safety offers preparedness tips for a wide variety of weather-related events and emergencies, available on its webpage.

Please visit our Updating NYU Alert webpage for instructions on how to update your contact information.

Yes, you can receive text messages from the NYU Alert system if you are not a current student, faculty or staff member. Please visit our Updating NYU Alert webpage for instructions on how to sign up.  

We recommend that you speak with your space or building's landlord or owner to understand the emergency procedures for your location. If you have further concerns, please feel free to contact our Emergency Management team at emergencymanagement@nyu.edu.