Safety

We are committed to your safety. Here are some measures we are taking to keep you safe along with tips, reminders, and resources to help you.

The University of Illinois provides many resources to help you stay safe beyond what is offered by University Housing. Be sure to review the safety resources on campus, and safety tips from UIPD.

The University of Illinois offers students the opportunity to identify a contact in the event that they are determined to be missing. To provide this contact, please visit the Banner Self-Service page and click on Personal Information.

Security Measures in the Residence Halls

  • Exterior doors on all residence halls are locked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Residents should use their i-cards for entry. Access to individual residence hall floors are also card-access-only 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All guests must be escorted at all times!
  • All common bathroom doors in undergraduate residence halls have been fitted with locks, and shower stalls have lockable doors.
  • Cameras are installed in common areas and around exterior doorways. These cameras are a part of the campus surveillance network and will be used for recording. University of Illinois Police has access to the recordings.
  • Security officers from the Division of Public Safety patrol all undergraduate halls in the evening and early morning hours, seven days a week.
  • All incoming students are enrolled in campus emergency notification as part of their admissions acceptance process.

Crime Prevention for Residents

Theft, usually a crime of opportunity, is by far the most common crime in residence halls, and one that can be prevented. Thefts are most often committed by persons you or your roommates allow into your residence.


More important than any item of property is your personal safety. The chances of physical attack can be greatly reduced by taking simple precautions and by being alert when walking around the campus.


Things to do:

  • Leave valuables, particularly small items of value, at home if it is not necessary to have them at your campus residence.
  • Keep your door locked even when you're leaving for "just a moment."
  • Always keep the door locked when you are alone in your residence hall room.
  • Don’t investigate a suspicious noise or person by yourself, call the University Police Department to report suspicious persons.
  • Engrave your property with an identification number.
  • Use a safe property handout to record the make, model, and serial number of valuables and keep the records in a safe place. Should you have property stolen; this information will help provide the greatest chance of catching the thief and getting your property returned.
  • Report lost room keys or I-Cards to housing staff immediately.

Things to avoid:

  • Do not allow strangers or hold large gatherings in your residence. It is easy for someone to steal small items without being noticed.
  • Do not prop open exterior building doors or violate guest policies. You are jeopardizing others' safety, as well as your own.
  • Never admit an uninvited nonresident into the building.
  • Do not let strangers enter the building by tailgating you.

Run, Hide, Fight

Emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. When faced with any kind of emergency, there are three options:

RUN - Leaving the area quickly is the best option if it is safe to do so.

  • Take time to learn the different ways to leave your building.
  • Leave personal items behind.
  • Assist those who need help, but consider whether doing so puts yourself at risk.
  • Alert authorities of the emergency when it is safe to do so.

HIDE - When you can't or don't want to run, take shelter indoors.

  • Take time to learn the different ways to seek shelter in your building.
  • If severe weather is imminent, go to the nearest indoor storm refuge area.
  • If someone is trying to hurt you and you can't evacuate, get to a place where you can't be seen, lock or barricade your area, silence your phone, don't make any noise, and don't come out until you receive an Illini-Alert indicating it is safe to do so.

FIGHT - As a last resort, you may need to fight to increase your chances of survival.

  • Think about what kind of common items are in your area which you can use to defend yourself.
  • Team up with others to fight if the situation allows.
  • Mentally prepare yourself - you may be in a fight for your life.

Visit police.illinois.edu/safe for more.