Safety and Crime Prevention

Techniques, training and information to help you stay safe on campus
In this Section

Providing a safe environment is our top priority. 

As a part of this effort, we offer educational programs to students, faculty and staff. If you would like to have an on-site training program for your group, click on the link below and complete the online form.

Log in to request a program

Expand the titles below to learn more about each topic.

Active Threat Information

University Police offers on-site Active Threat Training, by request, for students, faculty and staff.  If you cannot attend a training session, we hope that you will have a look at the training materials below.

We hope that you are never confronted with an active shooter situation, but if you do, there are steps you can take to increase your chances for survival:

Run

  • Know your surroundings and have an escape plan prior to an incident.
  • Move away from the threat quickly, leaving your belongings behind.
  • Get to a place of safety the call 911.
  • Be prepared to give the 911 operator as much information as possible.

Hide

  • If out cannot get out safely, shelter in place.
  • Lock any doors and keep them locked.
  • If doors cannot be locked, attempt to block doors closed.
  • Make yourself invisible to the threat, if possible.
  • Turn off lights and silence cell phones.

Fight

  • If you are confronted by the threat, this is your last resort.
  • Actively attempt to take out the threat using whatever you can find as a weapon.

UW-Stout Police participated in this five-minute training video.

UW-Madison Police produced a seven-minute training video.

FBI training video

Pathway to Violence video

The Department of Homeland Security offers this guide to active shooter response.

Property Crimes

Property crimes account for the highest number of crimes on campus.

Examples of property crimes are:

Theft

  • Record serial numbers on valuable items.
  • Do not leave valuables unattended, even for a short period of time.
  • Report thefts immediately to police.

Burglary

  • Burglary rarely happens in locked residence hall rooms.
  • Lock your doors, even if you are stepping out only for a few minutes. 

Damage to Property

  • Report vandalism immediately to police.

Fraud

  • Watch bank and credit card accounts closely for fraudulent charges.
  • Know your credit card information so you can quickly cancel cards if they are stolen.
  • Be cautious of scammers. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Never give personal information to unknown callers or email solicitations.
  • Be cautious of social media posts asking you to answer personal questions. Many of these are similar to security questions used to reset passwords.
  • Report any suspicious activity to police.
Suspicious Activity

Too often, people are reluctant to report suspicious activity to police, or they decide to report long after the activity has passed.

We have a greater possibility to solve crimes if they are reported right away.

Never assume that someone else has already called police in an active situation.

Be observant and be prepared to give as much information as you can, to police, when you call. See a short video on being a good witness.

Examples of suspicious activity:

  • People who are hanging around locked facilities, or residence hall doors, waiting to "tailgate" into the building. If someone cannot get into a building, they are likely not supposed to be there.
  • Locked doors propped open. Attempt to secure the door and notify police.
  • Suspicious people walking around residence halls checking for unlocked and unoccupied rooms. If someone you don't know ever enters your room, call police.
  • People walking through parking lots looking through car windows or checking doors.