Safety Information

• Report suspicious persons or criminal activity by calling WFUPD at 336.758.5911 or submitting the Report A Crime Form.

• Download the Wake Safe app.
• Visit the Wake Alert website to sign up for alerts and stay up-to-date on information during an emergency.
• Familiarize yourself with the Emergency (blue light) phone locations around campus.
• Keep your car doors and windows locked at all times.
• Use locks on lockers and bicycles.
• Register your personal property with the University Police to discourage theft.

• Staying informed about local incidents and trends: Crime maps allow our campus community to stay up-to-date on recent criminal activity in our area, fostering increased awareness and encouraging vigilance.
• Attend crime prevention programs.

• Avoid walking alone at night.
  • Walk in groups, stay in well-lit areas, and consider taking the University Shuttle.
• Download the Wake Safe app to your cellphone.
  • Use Friend Walk (a peer-to-peer tool). Invite friends and family to temporarily follow your location on a real-time map. They will see your approximate location as you walk to your destination and will know when you get there safely.
• Consider not using headphones.
  • While you may enjoy listening to music while running or walking, headphones limit your ability to hear what is going on in your surroundings.
• Keep your doors and windows locked.
• Be cautious about secure areas.
  • Do not let anyone follow you into a secured area without checking their ID. Let them use their own Deacon OneCard or key to enter.
• Enroll in personal safety and security programs.
  • University Police frequently offer security training, such as the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) course, which is available through the University’s course registration system.
• Avoid displaying and carrying large sums of money.
  • Only carry a credit card and/or Student ID card. If you must carry items like purses, wallets, backpacks, or other valuables, carry them close to your body and keep wallets inside a pocket.
• Avoid isolated or dark areas and stay alert and aware of your surroundings.
• Always travel with a charged cell phone available to call for help.
• If you are the victim of a robbery
  • If you are confronted, cooperate. Give the criminal the property that he/she asks for — wallet, keys, jewelry, credit cards, and electronics. Your life is more valuable than possessions that can be replaced. Don’t make sudden moves or try to apprehend or fight with the criminal. Concentrate on remembering the suspect’s description and call the police immediately. Your safety is most important. Do what the robber says and don’t try to negotiate. If the suspect claims he/she has a gun, knife, or other weapon in his pocket, believe them.

Wake Safe is a free personal mobile application for Wake Forest University students, staff, faculty, visitors, and surrounding community members to engage in a two-way conversation with Wake Forest University police.

The Watch For Me NC website offers helpful advice concerning pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist safety.

Wake Forest University strives to maintain a safe community for its students, faculty, staff, and neighbors. As an added precaution during late-night hours, gatehouses were built at the Reynolda Road and University Parkway entrances.

WFUPD security staff the gatehouses and monitor traffic from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. The Polo Road entrance will be closed during gatehouse hours.

Visitors

Anyone without proper identification will be stopped at the gatehouses and drivers will be asked for their name and destination.

Related Pages

• Campus Map
• Directions to Campus
•  Visiting Wake Forest

The Wake Forest University Police Department is concerned about your safety while you are on campus and while studying abroad. The following links provide information on travel safety for students studying abroad.

Abroad Travel Safety

• Be aware of pickpockets; petty theft is common among students
• Avoid underage and excessive alcohol consumption
• Don’t import, purchase, use, or have drugs in your possession
• Obey the local laws
• Only use licensed and regulated taxis
• Do not carry weapons
• Avoid participating in demonstrations and other political activities
• Be safe and secure in your residence
• Practice ATM security
• Be conscious of your verbal and non-verbal behavior

If you have a problem:

• Call the WFU Police collect at 336.758.5591 or if you cannot call, Email: police@wfu.edu
• Call the local U.S. Embassy Consular. Obtain the number prior to traveling by visiting the Travel.State.Gov website.
• If you are arrested, cooperate with local authorities and ask to call the U.S. Embassy
• Additional tips and information can be found at WAKE Alert.

For students who might be traveling

• Let a family member/loved one know your travel plans, including the name and location of your hotel/where you are staying, and your dates for arrival and departure.
• Do not advertise your plans to be out of town on social media.
• If you are driving, be sure to have your car checked/serviced prior to a long trip.
• Take only one credit card and your debit card. Keep them on you at all times. Leave jewelry or other valuables at home.
• Make copies of your credit cards in case they are lost. Include the phone number to call and cancel the cards if needed.
• Carry your cell phone at all times and be sure it is fully charged.
• Lock the doors to wherever you are staying and do not open your door to anyone you do not know. If the person states they work for the hotel, call the front desk and confirm this before allowing them entry. You can find additional door lock options for hotel rooms on places like Amazon.com or your purveyor of choice.
• Use a hotel safe or in-room safe for valuables.
• Use the buddy system at your destination – don’t leave any friends behind, and don’t walk alone at night.
• Always have enough money on your person to get back to your hotel/where you are staying.
• Do not accept food or drinks from strangers. Even if you meet people who seem friendly, they may not have the best intentions. Never provide strangers with your hotel name/street address of where you are staying.
• Be aware of your surroundings. If you feel like something is amiss, trust your instincts. If you think you are being followed, walk into a store, restaurant, business or other safe place and ask for help.
• If you choose to drink alcohol, make sure you get drinks directly from a bartender or person you know and trust. Never leave your drink unattended.
• Remember your medications (and sunscreen if you are going to a beach or warm area).
• Use caution in snapping QR codes; some people are adding spam code over legitimate codes.

Special considerations for students who go abroad for Spring Break

• Check the U.S. State Department travel advisories website for countries on their list.
• Please review laws to the country(ies) to which you are traveling, as their laws could be more strict. This can include restrictions on the medications that are allowed to enter the country.
• Make two copies of your passport in case it is lost. Include the phone number to call to report lost passports. Leave one copy with a family member or trusted friend not traveling with you.
• Leave important valuables and documents (especially your passport) in your room safe/hotel safe deposit box, not in your room.
• Arrive in a new country with a small amount of cash in the local currency. You do not want to stand out in a crowd trying to get change for a large bill.
• Contact your cell provider in advance to get foreign country coverage; roaming charges for service can be VERY expensive.
• Only use established taxis or ride services. Some countries allow anyone to act as a taxi with a sign. Ask how much it will cost to take you to your destination and settle on the price before getting in the car.
• Do not allow anyone to take you to an unknown destination.
• Find out how you contact police, hospitals, and make phone calls once you arrive in another country.
• Remember not all countries have safety requirements or inspections for things such as Zip Lines and Parasailing.