Campus Safety

There is no higher priority at SUNY Cortland than the safety of the campus community, and we take many steps to maintain a safe environment.

Safety starts with our University Police Department (UPD) and its 19-officer force. All are professionally trained, meet all of the standards for New York State Police officers and understand the unique nature of college life.

University Police Officers patrol the campus by foot, bike and vehicle 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are also pioneers in the practice of community policing, being visible, proactive and available to the campus.

To assist community members with staying safe, the UPD sponsors educational programs on crime prevention, personal safety, self-defense, sexual-assault prevention and other topics.

Other campus safety initiatives include:

• Campus-wide emergency notification via cell-phone voice and text messages, campus video screens, sirens, radio and loudspeakers
• 24/7 electronic cardkey access to all residence halls and most academic buildings
• Emergency blue light phones—for rapid notification of and response to serious incidents or situations—in 27 locations across campus
• Indoor and outdoor video security cameras at residence halls, parking lots, fields and many other locations
• Free on-campus and downtown bus shuttles with pickup and drop-off at residence halls
• Monthly crime reports and campus safety reports published on the website
• Resources to report incidences of sexual assault
• Regular inspection of campus buildings and fire protection systems. Students and staff receive fire safety training and fire drills are conducted throughout the year.