See Something, Say Something

In order for Public Safety to maintain a safe and secure environment for Columbia students, faculty, and staff, we need help from our University community. You can serve as our eyes and ears on the ground, and are often in a better position to identify activity that is out of the ordinary in your residence or workplace. If you identify suspicious behavior, call Public Safety at the appropriate number below:

Morningside: 212-854-2797
Emergency On Campus: 4-5555
Manhattanville: 212-853-3301
Emergency On Campus: 3-3333
Medical Center: 212-305-8100
Emergency On Campus: 305-7979

Public Safety encourages our community members to trust their instincts. If something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. Don't ignore it or keep it to yourself. We do not encourage community members to intervene or take actions on their own, but rather to call us – even if you are unsure about what is occurring. We will then dispatch officers immediately to investigate the situation and take appropriate action.

By being vigilant and looking out for each other, everyone in the Columbia community can do their part to assist Public Safety in keeping the University safe and secure.

The benefits of alerting Public Safety about potential criminal behavior far outweighs the small inconvenience of making the call.

Below are examples of community members who saw something that didn’t seem right and called us immediately, doing their part to help keep Columbia's campus and the greater neighborhood safe and secure.

On Thursday May 5th, 2019, at approximately 20:18 hours, the Morningside Operations Desk was informed by an anonymous resident of 401 W. 118th Street regarding a possible suspect from a recent Crime Alert. The suspect was present at 401 W. 118th Street and removed packages from the building. Sergeant Logrono, the Off-Campus Patrol Supervisor and Sergeant Mendoza, the On-Campus Patrol Supervisor, were dispatched and 911 was called. NYPD officers positively identified the perpetrator as the suspect from the Crime Alert and made the arrest.