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Fall 2025

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to all our new and returning students! We hope you had a restful and enjoyable summer. Here’s a quick reminder of your safety & wellness resources at Penn.

Know that the Division of Public Safety (DPS) is committed to the safety and wellbeing of the Penn and West Philadelphia communities which we serve. We are here for you, and we care for you. Reach out anytime. Please call our 24/7 PennComm Emergency Call Center at 215-573-3333 for any immediate concerns.

Feeling safe also includes practicing self-care. Penn Public Safety partners with multiple support services across the University. Below is a list of safety and support resources throughout campus.

Kathleen Shields Anderson, Vice President for Public Safety

 

Public Safety Resources

Emergency Contact Information

If you should have any concerns or see someone exhibiting suspicious behavior, call the PennComm Emergency Communications Center at 215-573-3333. We are here for you 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, call anytime. If you feel unsafe outside of the Penn Patrol Zone, call 9-1-1 for local police (in the U.S.). A reminder that the Penn Patrol Zone extends from 30th Street to 43rd Street (east to west) and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue (north to south).

  • Emergencies: Dial 215-573-3333 or 5-1-1 (from any campus phone). Dial 9-1-1 outside of the Penn Patrol Zone.
  • Blue Light Emergency Phones: If you observe a potential safety hazard, require assistance, notice suspicious activity, feel unsafe or need a walking escort, you can reach Public Safety directly through any emergency phone on campus. Just pick up the receiver or press the button.
  • UPennAlert Registration: For information on how to register or update your contact information.
  • Penn Guardian: Use the Penn Guardian App to stay in touch with Public Safety. Penn Guardian is a free app that allows Penn affiliates the ability to rapidly provide information about themselves, such as a medical condition, to the Division of Public Safety during an emergency.

Safety & Wellness Resources

24/7 Walking Escort Services: (215) 898-WALK (9255)

Public Safety Security Officers will walk with you anywhere in the Penn Patrol Zone. The FREE Walking Escort service extends between 30th and 43rd Streets and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It also extends west to 50th Street and north/south from Spring Garden Street to Woodland Avenue, between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. via the University’s partnership with the University City District Ambassador Program.

How to Request a Walking Escort:

  • Ask any Public Safety Officer on patrol or inside a building
  • Call (215) 898-WALK (9255) or 511 (from campus phone)
  • Use one of the many building and blue-light phones located on and off Penn’s Campus

The HELP Line: 215-898-HELP (4357)

The HELP Line is a 24-hour-a-day phone number for members of the Penn community who are seeking time-sensitive help navigating Penn’s resources for health and wellness. Any member of the Penn community may call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to request mental health resources and information. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by Division of Public Safety professionals trained in mental health referrals by staff from Student Counseling.

Special Services: 215-898-4481 or 215-898-6600 (24hrs)

The Special Services team provides 24/7 support services to members of the Penn community who have experienced any type of crime.  A prominent part of Special Services’ operations is options, support, and transparency related to interpersonal violence and sensitive crimes such as rape, sexual assault, relationship or domestic violence, harassment, and stalking. The Special Services team also responds to critical incidents to address and alleviate community distress.

 

We are here for you. Call 215-898-4481 or 215-898-6600 (24 hours) or, for non-emergency situations, email us at  (email is not monitored 24/7). Please call 215-573-3333 in any emergency.

 

We encourage students to reach out to us for additional resources, including walking security escort services anywhere throughout our patrol area.  DPS works in close partnership with multiple University support resources, including University Life’s community and cultural resource centers, Wellness resources, the Chaplain’s Office, and College House & Academic Services, among others. DPS offers safety presentations, self-defense courses, and emergency procedures training to the Penn community. Groups may request safety presentations via the form on our website.