Reporting Crime and 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.  If immediate police, fire, or medical response is needed, please dial 9-9-1-1 from University phones (all Stanford prefixes). From non-Stanford phones, dial 9-1-1. Remember that 9-1-1 is a free call from pay phones and any cell phone. For a non-emergency police response on campus, contact the Dispatch Center at (650) 723-9633.

Call 911 if you experience, hear or observe any of the following:

  • A whistle, scream or call for help
  • Any crime that is occurring or has occurred
  • A suspicious car repeatedly driving up and down the street
  • If you see someone suspiciously entering your neighbor’s room or home, or entering an office or lab with no apparent legitimate business purpose. Also, seeing someone acting suspiciously in a parking area or at a bike rack near your home, dorm, or work

In addition, there are over 140 blue 911 emergency phone towers and 911 phones located along travel routes throughout the Stanford campus. To report a police, fire, or medical emergency, simply push the red button, located on the front center panel of the phones, to be connected with the Police Communications Center. The Police Communications Center is staffed 24 hours a day. Pushing the red button on the blue tower phones will also activate a blue strobe light on top of the tower that should alert others, including responding deputies, of your location. All calls, even hang-up calls, will be investigated by SUDPS. The Emergency Phones and towers are for the purpose of enhancing your safety while on the Stanford campus. Intentional misuse, prank calls, or tampering with these phones or towers is a criminal offense.

Calling 911 from a Cell Phone

From most areas on campus, a 911 call from your cell phone will go directly to the Stanford/Palo Alto Dispatch Center. The following phone numbers will connect directly to other local Emergency Dispatch Centers:

Stanford/Palo Alto: (650) 329-2413
East Palo Alto: (650) 321-1112
Menlo Park: (650) 325-4424
Millbrae: (650) 697-1212
Mountain View: (650) 903-6922
Los Altos: (650) 947-2779
Los Altos Hills: (408) 299-3233                    
Redwood City: (650) 369-3333
San Carlos: (650) 592-2222