Dear Temple community,   

Now that we have entered a new academic year, Temple University’s Department of Public Safety wanted to take a moment to remind students, faculty and staff of the available safety resources here on campus. The safety of both the Temple and North Philadelphia communities is of the utmost importance to us, and it is also foundational to the vibrant learning, working and visiting environment that we seek to provide. 

We can help keep each other safe by following best practices and utilizing the numerous safety resources available here at Temple. Here are some best practices and recommendations that we encourage our Temple community to utilize.  

• Save the Temple University Police Department’s phone number directly into your cell phone: 215-204-1234. Calling that number connects you with a Temple dispatcher, who will send a Temple police officer to you if needed. You can also call that number to report a crime.  
• Download the TUSafe app. TUSafe is Temple University’s one-touch personal safety app. It is available to all students, faculty and staff members at Temple’s U.S. campuses. The Temple community can use this mobile tool to connect directly with Temple’s Department of Public Safety.   
• Register your cell phone to receive TUalerts here. TUalerts are an emergency notification system used to communicate with students, faculty and staff, as well as visitors, local residents, parents and the news media in the event of an emergency or impactful weather events.  
• Students, faculty and staff can request a walking escort by calling 8-9255 from a campus phone or 215-777-9255 from a cell phone. This program allows students, faculty or staff to be escorted anywhere within Temple University Police Department’s patrol zone by a security or police officer.  
• Become familiar with medical amnesty. Temple University has a medical amnesty policy that states that no student will be subject to university discipline for seeking medical treatment for the effects of drug or alcohol use, and this amnesty will be granted to both the intoxicated student and the student seeking help for an intoxicated student. 
• Utilize Flight, Temple’s free, nighttime shuttle loop service. With more than 50 stops within the campus patrol zone, Flight takes you where you need to go from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Flight service runs seven days a week, and you’ll never have to wait more than 15 minutes for a shuttle to arrive. Plus, Flight stops are easy to locate with their flashing strobe lights. The TransLoc app enables you to track when a shuttle is approaching the nearest stop.   
• If you are a student living off campus, use Temple’s Best Nest Program, which offers students the ability to search off-campus housing options that meet certain safety, security and good neighbor criteria. The Best Nest Program allows properties to display recognition as either cherry-certified or diamond-certified on their listing, thus providing students with more information about the locations where they consider living.  
• We encourage the entire Temple community to watch this Run, Hide, Fight video, so you know what to do in the unlikely event of an active threat on campus.   

I’d also like to update you on our latest public safety initiatives. While our students were away this summer, our team worked diligently to enhance safety across campus. We invite you to continue following our progress through the Safety Dashboard. Below is a snapshot of some of our key accomplishments from the past several months. 

• Nearly all recommendations from the 2023 public safety audit are complete or in progress, illustrating the progress we’ve made in improving community safety and internal accountability. 
• We launched a social media safety toolkit to enhance the promotion of the university’s safety resources. Student organizations can request Public Safety’s Social Media Toolkit by emailing TUDPS.Comms@temple.edu with “Toolkit” in the subject line. 
• We welcomed Barkley, a 12-week-old chocolate Labrador retriever, who is currently in training to become a certified comfort dog. Stay tuned for more updates as Barkley continues her training and prepares to bring a little more comfort and calm to our campus. 
• Four of our newest police officers have become certified in bike patrol after a week of hands-on training. 
• We are continuing recruitment efforts for police officers and offering numerous incentives such as sign-on bonuses, steady 12-hour shifts, free tuition and more.  
• Finally, Public Safety is seeking student voices! We invite students to join our Student Safety Advisory Committee and play an active role in shaping campus safety initiatives. This is an opportunity to share ideas, raise concerns, and collaborate directly with Public Safety leadership to make a meaningful difference. Email TUDPS.Comms@temple.edu to learn more. 

Our Engagement Unit also remains committed to continue building a bridge with the North Philadelphia community. 

• Just this month, we teamed up with the College of Education and Human Development and the Office of Community Affairs and Engagement to hold a Pack a Patrol Car school supply drive for more than 60 children who attend our neighboring public schools.   
• Our Engagement Unit also held a Cops vs. Campers basketball game, creating a fun opportunity to connect with and get to know our neighbors. 
• Additionally, Public Safety stepped in to paint a brighter future at a neighboring elementary school. 
• We hosted an inaugural fundraiser for our Children’s Holiday Party that’s held every December and it raised more than $1,700! 
• We are proud to announce the addition of a new community engagement van to our fleet. Wrapped in Temple’s iconic cherry red and proudly displaying the hashtag #ProudTUServe, the van will support events, outreach efforts and neighborhood initiatives, helping us strengthen connections with the Temple and North Philadelphia communities while promoting safety. 
• A calendar of upcoming engagement events can be found here.  

We encourage all members of the Temple community to stay updated regarding the university’s available safety resources. The Department of Public Safety is also on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram, and we invite the community to follow us for safety updates.   

Best regards, 

Jennifer D. Griffin 
Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police