SCampus Student Guidebook

2008-09 SCampus (PDFs)

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Question: Does USC offer self defense classes?

Answer: DPS offers Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training for women free of charge. RAD training provides viable options for use in situations of imminent or actual attack. Participants learn practical techniques that require no special equipment. To learn more, contact DPS at (213) 740-9565.

DPS also offers the following presentations to students, staff and faculty:

Personal Safety (includes robbery prevention)
ID Theft and Credit Card/Check Fraud
Theft Prevention
Rape Prevention
Bicycle Safety

For more information, contact USC Crime Prevention and Community Education at (213) 740-9565.

Dress Traditions

“Trojanes should always keep themselves looking smart. Simplicity is the password. Campus clothes look best when not cluttered with large flowers or earrings. Blouses, sweaters and skirts, cool cotton dresses and separates for warmer days are the right attire for USC’s campus. Trojanes always wear hose with their flats and bobby socks with their saddle shoes or white bucks. Neither sandals nor ‘go-aheads’ are acceptable footwear.”
– SCampus 1960-61

Safety

Public Safety

Section PDF

University Park Campus
(213) 740-4321 (Emergencies)
(213) 740-6000 (Non-emergencies)
Parking Structure A

Health Sciences Campus
(323) 442-1000 (Emergencies)
(323) 442-1200 (Non-emergencies)
Health Sciences Parking Structure

capsnet.usc.edu/dps

Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the central coordinating office for law enforcement and security programs at the university. DPS is open 24 hours a day and is responsible for the deployment of all personnel on and around the university campuses. DPS is one of the largest campus law enforcement agencies in the nation.

DPS is charged with the protection of life and property and should be called to report any emergency situation, including serious accidents, crimes, suspicious circumstances, fires or safety hazards. Through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Los Angeles Police Department, armed USC public safety officers have peace officer powers of arrest authority and patrol the campus and off-campus areas in vehicles, on bicycles and on foot. Public safety officers conduct preliminary investigations facilitating the investigative process with local law enforcement.

Unarmed community service officers patrol all university-owned residential facilities and monitor the access control/alarm systems at these buildings 24 hours a day. Unarmed student officers assigned to the Trojan Student Officer Program are responsible for promoting bicycle safety, enforcing campus and state bicycle regulations and deterring bicycle theft. They also patrol on-campus parking structures and supplement bookstore security.

Other services performed by DPS include: the provision of a wide variety of written materials on crime prevention; presentation of crime and rape awareness seminars; security surveys of offices and apartments on or near both the University Park and Health Sciences campuses; bicycle registration; and personal property identification. For more information, call the Crime Prevention and Community Education Unit at (213) 743-1730.

The primary goal of DPS is to provide a safe and secure environment in which the social and academic endeavors of the university community may be fully realized. To achieve this goal, the department needs students’ cooperation and support in reporting incidents, taking advantage of the services the department provides and complying with basic crime prevention practices.

DPS publishes an annual security report that includes crime information for the previous three calendar years. The report is available for viewing online at capsnet.usc.edu/dps/asr.

Blue Light Phones

For emergency situations, more than 300 emergency “blue light” phones have been strategically located in many buildings, each parking structure (on every level) and on the campus grounds. Many of these emergency phones are easily identified by the blue emergency lights on top of the phone booth. They provide a direct line to the Public Safety office and should be used only under emergency conditions.

To report an emergency from a regular telephone, call (213) 740-4321 (University Park campus), or (323) 442-1000 (Health Sciences campus). For general information regarding department activities, policies or available services, call (213) 740-6000 (University Park campus) or (323) 442-1200 (Health Sciences campus), or stop by either office to speak with members of the staff.