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Reporting Crime & Suspicious Activity

All students, faculty, staff and visitors at Stanford are encouraged to report all crimes and public safety related incidents to the Stanford Department of Public Safety in a timely manner.

Anytime you need immediate police, fire, or medical response, dial 9-9-1-1 from University phones (all Stanford prefixes). From non-university phones, dial 9-1-1. Remember that 9-1-1 is a free call from pay phones and any cell phone. In addition, emergency phones with blue lights are located in many areas on campus. These phones are either blue emergency towers or pay phones with blue lights on top. For a non-emergency police response on campus, dial (650) 723-9633 during business hours (M-F, 8am-5pm) or (650) 329-2413 for after-hours non-emergency requests.

Call 911 if you think a crime is in progress, which might be indicated by:
  • A whistle, scream or call for help.
  • A strange car repeatedly driving up and down the street.
  • Seeing someone you don't know or recognize enter your neighbor's room or home, enter an office or lab with no apparent business or transaction, or loiter in a parking area or at a bike rack near your home, dorm, or work.
Remember that the police cannot be everywhere at once, and they depend on individuals in the community to assist them in crime prevention by reporting suspicious activities.

Calling 911 from a Cell Phone

From most places on campus, a 911 call from your cell phone will go directly to the Stanford/Palo Alto Dispatch Center. Use the following phone numbers to connect directly to other local 911 Dispatch Centers:
Stanford/Palo Alto: (650) 329-2413
East Palo Alto: (650) 321-1112 Millbrae: (650) 697-1212
Los Altos: (650) 947-2779 Mountain View: (650) 903-6922
Los Altos Hills: (408) 299-3233 Redwood City: (650) 369-3333
Menlo Park: (650) 325-4424San Carlos: (650) 592-2222

Emergency Phone Towers

There are currently 145 Blue Emergency Phone Towers at various locations throughout the Stanford Campus. If there is a crime occurring, or a fire or medical emergency, simply push the red button on the front center panel of the phones, and the phone will direct dial the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center, which is staffed 24-hours-a-day. Pushing the red button on the blue tower phones will also activate a blue strobe light on top that should alert others, including responding deputies, to your location. All calls, even hang-up calls, are investigated by the Department of Public Safety. A Deputy will immediately respond to the location.

Please remember that the Emergency Phones are in place to enhance your safety while on the Stanford Campus, and for reporting emergencies. Intentional misuse, prank calls, or tampering with these phones is a criminal offense.

Off-Campus Crime

When off-campus, all members of the Stanford community are encouraged to report all crimes and public safety related incidents to the local police agency in a timely manner. In case of an emergency, call 911 or use the phone numbers listed on the previous page to connect directly to the 911 dispatch centers of neighboring communities.

University judicial policy for students applies to all on-campus activities, even during vacation periods and summer. This University judicial policy does not apply to alleged offenses committed off-campus, except those associated with participation in University activities.

  • Please go to the following page to find out How to Describe a Suspect and Automobile.