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Safety Procedures / Tips

Summary

Don’t be a victim by giving crime an opportunity to occur.

Hunter College is a very safe college community. Fortunately, incidents of violent crime are virtually non-existent. However, things do occur and no matter how infrequent or how minor a crime may be, when you are the victim, it is serious, frustrating, and at best inconvenient.

The members of the Office of Public Safety work very hard every day to try to protect you and your property. While on patrol, officers frequently remind students and staff to watch their valuables. The key is “AWARENESS.” By not placing yourself, or your property, in a vulnerable situation, you can avoid becoming a victim of a crime of opportunity.

Don’t leave your backpacks, cellphones, laptops and other portable electronic equipment unattended! The safety tips on these pages are designed to give you the information you need to protect yourself and your property.

Procedures/Tips

Stay alert and tuned in to your surroundings!
Trust your instincts, if you don’t feel comfortable in a place or situation—leave immediately.
Walk confidently and with purpose. Don’t look like a victim!
Travel on streets where there is pedestrian traffic.
If you feel threatened, cross the street, enter a store or place of business. Call 911!
Try not to use cash machines after dark.
Never flash large amounts of cash or jewelry.
Never leave your valuables unattended.
Properly secure bicycles to bike racks. Public safety and NYPD will register your bicycle for free.
If you become a victim of a crime—remain calm—try and get a good description of your attacker.
If you are on campus, call public safety at 1-4444—if you are off campus call the NYPD at 911—immediately.
Notify your family or friends of your travels and expected times of arrival.
Use a codeword or phrase to let your family or friends know that you are in trouble.

Nearly every theft from a dorm room is through an unlocked door.
Always LOCK YOUR DOOR even when you are in the room.
Personal computers/laptops should be engraved and, in many cases secured. Call the Office of Public Safety (1-4444) for more information.
Report immediately to the Office of Public Safety (1-4444) any suspicious person in the residence hall!
If you have a guest, be sure to instruct them to follow the residence rules (living@Hunter) requiring that you escort your guest while on campus at all times.
Let your family, friends or your RA know if you are not going to be on campus for any length of time, weekends, holidays, etc.

Don’t believe everything you read when chatting online. People very often misrepresent themselves.
Never give out personal information on line to strangers (home phone number/address/credit card numbers).
Never rush to meet someone to meet someone you met on line. Quick dates can be dangerous. If you are being pressured to meet you should become suspicious!
Talk on the phone before you meet. Play it safe. You make the call. Meet in a public place. Feel the other person out before getting together.
Tell your parents or friends about your plans. If the other person wants to keep it a secret be suspicious.
Meet in a public place whenever possible. Avoid going to the person’s home until you know each other.
Tell someone where you are going. Let them know if there is a change in plans or you will be getting back late.
Always report attacks or threats to the police or to the Office of Public Safety (212-772-4444).
Consider bringing a friend. Remember, you really don’t know the other person that you are meeting.
Always—BE CAREFUL!

A comprehensive assessment for internet safety can be found at CUNY’s Information Security website.

Keep pocketbooks and book-bags secure at all time.
Remove your backpack when entering a crowded train or elevator, always make sure that all flaps are secure.
Have your money or metro card available.
Do not flash money or jewelry in public places.
If you carry a wallet, never carry it in your back pocket. Front pants and breast pockets are much more difficult for the pickpocket.
Be suspicious of anyone approaching you and trying to distract you. Pickpockets usually work in teams.
Sit in the center of the car, away from the door, to avoid a purse or chain snatch.
When traveling on the subway during off-hours, ride in the cars with the conductor.
When waiting for a train late at night, stand by the token booth or in the area designed as off-hours waiting area.
Stay awake and aware at all times.
Do not stand near the edge of the train platform.
Do not listen to music on your cellphone while on the subway system. There is a strong need to always be aware of your surroundings.
Remember that no property is worth getting seriously injured over. If you find yourself a victim of a crime, remain calm and get to a safe place. Try and get a good description of the person committing the crime and call the police immediately.

See More Safety Tips From the NYPD

At Hunter College, the safety of our community is a top priority. To maintain a safe environment, motorized vehicles, including gas-powered bicycles, e-bikes, electric scooters, and other battery-powered devices, are not allowed inside any campus buildings.

Why Aren’t Motorized Vehicles Allowed Indoors?

Fire Safety: Battery-powered devices pose a fire risk, especially in enclosed spaces. This restriction helps us minimize hazards and keep our campus safe for all.
Emergency Egress: Being larger and heavier than pedal-powered bicycles, motorized vehicles can obstruct hallways and exits, creating potential tripping hazards and impeding safe evacuation during emergencies.
Protecting Indoor Spaces: Motorized vehicles can damage floors, walls, and other building infrastructure. Keeping these devices outdoors preserves our facilities for community use.

While we encourage eco-friendly commuting options, all motorized and battery-powered devices must be stored outside, at the designated bike racks available on campus.

Exceptions to this rule apply only to adaptive mobility devices such as electric wheelchairs, which are essential for accessibility.

For questions or more information, contact Public Safety at (212) 772–4444 and ask for a supervisor. Thank you for helping keep our campus safe for everyone.

Do not go out alone. Always go out in groups of two or more and travel in well-lit and populated streets.
Tell your friends/roommates if you’re leaving, with whom, where you’re planning to go and when you’ll see them back at home.
Do not accept open drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) from others who you do not know or do not trust; this includes drinks that come in a glass.
Never leave your drink unattended or turn your back on your table.
Do not drink from open beverage sources like punch bowls, pitchers or tubs.
Keep your eyes and ears open; if friends appear to be “too intoxicated” for what they have consumed, leave the party or club with them immediately, and return home or seek medical attention. Do not return to the club or party!
Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times.
Know where you need to go and the safest way to get there.
Trust your instincts: If you sense something is wrong, get away from the situation. Any person in your group can signal concern or alarm and that should not be dismissed without a rational discussion. Error on the side of safety/caution.

Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Criminals often confront people who are distracted. Do not give a criminal an opportunity.
Secure all pocketbooks, handbags and book bags properly.
Never walk away from your property, not even for a minute!!
Carry your purse close to your body. Place one end of the purse in your palm and the other in the bend of the elbow. Never carry a purse by the handle or strap.
Carry your wallet in a breast pocket of your jacket or the front pockets of your pants. Rear pants pockets are to easy to pick!
Carry only the amount of cash that you need. If you do carry large sums of cash, divide them between your pockets, purse and wallet.
Record credit card numbers for all the cards you own. This will help in the event they are lost or stolen.
Travel on well lit streets and populated areas. When possible, travel with a friend.
Never walk through back alleys or on dark secluded streets.
Be wary of con artists. Con artists use a number of ploys to separate you from your valuables. Remember, “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.”
Don’t wait until you get to your front door to look for your keys, have them ready before you get to the door.
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!!
DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!!

Be aware of your surroundings, especially between dusk and dawn. If you notice anything suspicious—a security light out, someone loitering nearby—consider coming back later or using a supermarket or convenience store ATM.
Choose an ATM that is in a well lit and traveled area.
Ensure that the ATM has not been tampered with before inserting your card.
If using the ATM at night, take someone with you.
Park in a well-lit area as close as possible to the ATM.
At a drive-through ATM, be sure the doors are locked and the passenger windows are rolled up.
If you withdraw cash, put it away promptly; count it later, in private.
Put your ATM card and receipt away promptly; never leave your receipt at the ATM.
Keep your PIN secret—don’t write it down, and don’t share it with anyone you don’t trust absolutely. Your PIN provides access to your account.
Shield the keypad when entering your PIN to keep it from being observed.
Avoid being too regular in your ATM use–don’t repeatedly visit the same machine at the same time, the same day of the week, for instance.

Crime Prevention Programs on personal safety and theft prevention are sponsored by the Office of Public Safety at various campuses throughout the year. Public safety personnel facilitate programs for student, parent, faculty, and new employee orientations, student organizations as well as orientation programs for Brookdale Resident Advisers (RA’s) and new residents. Programs provide individuals with a variety of educational strategies and tips on how to protect themselves from sexual assault, theft, internet dating, identity theft and other crimes. Fire safety is included in all orientation programs.

Hunter College maintains an Emergency Response Plan that outlines incident priorities, campus organization and specific responsibilities of particular units or positions during emergencies. Hunter College’s Emergency Procedures contain all of the information that you may need during an emergency, at your fingertips. The main goal of the College’s Emergency Plan (contained in Emergency Procedures) is the preservation of life, protection of property, and the continuity of campus operations.

Whenever possible, public safety invites NYPD units specializing in sex crimes and crime prevention to present programs to members of the Hunter community.

Additionally, students may sign up for CUNY Alert. CUNY Alert is a the emergency notification system that will enable the University’s campuses to advise students, faculty and staff of an emergency and provide timely information to protect lives and minimize campus disruption. Depending upon the severity of the incident, CUNY Alert messages can range from specific instructions to general warnings. These notifications will be sent to members of the CUNY community who have signed up for CUNY Alert. Messages can be received via cell phone (text and/or voice), land line telephone and email. You must “opt in” to receive alerts, and you can choose your preferred format or formats to receive the messages.