Crime Prevention Links

Crime prevention for the university community

Keeping you safe

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a campus service organization responsible for law enforcement, crime prevention, and emergency services for Northern Kentucky  University. Services are provided on a 24-hour basis to students, faculty and staff, as well as visitors to NKU.

Here, you can find helpful information about how to stay safe, prevent crimes, and recover should you be the victim of a crime. We provide information on common campus concerns, technological safety issues, and sex offenders.

You can provide us with crime tips and request an escort from a DPS officer.

The information included here is provided by the Department of Public Safety to foster a teamwork relationship between the Department and the people we serve. Working together, we can ensure a safe and secure working, research and teaching environment here at NKU.

Safety at Northern Kentucky University FAQ

What can I do to be safer?

• Lock your apartment or residence hall doors.
• Don't prop open residence hall exterior doors and don't let people you don't know into the halls. You wouldn???t let a stranger, even if that person looked like a Northern Kentucky University student, walk through your home, would you?
• Report any suspicious activity to the Northern Kentucky University Police.
• Make low-risk alcohol choices.  The majority of campus crimes from vandalism to assaults involve drinking.
• Take advantage of Northern Kentucky University???s safety programs.
• To request an escort call 572-5500
• Northern Kentucky University police provide presentations to small groups on a variety of safety topics, register bicycles and engrave and videotape personal property.  Call 859-572-5500.
• Northern Kentucky University police will provide a variety of crime prevention tips, ranging from traveling alone to facts concerning Rohypnol.
• Northern Kentucky University police offer a 12-hour Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training to women.  Cost is free, which includes the RAD manual.  Call 859-572-5500.

Where can I find out about crime statistics?

• For the latest crime statistics, the annual security report. 

What does NKU do to alert students of potential problems?

• The University will issue crime alerts when a crime that officials believe poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the members of the university community has been reported to the University Police. 
• Crime alerts are designed to not only heighten safety awareness, but seek information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of perpetrators of crimes. 
• Crime alerts are distributed in residence halls, via announcements in the listervs, etc.  Another way of alerting the university community is by checking the Northern Kentucky University Police Department Web site.

How will NKU communicate emergency information in the case of a large-scale emergency or natural disaster?

• In the event of a natural disaster or large-scale emergency, Northern Kentucky University will contact members of the campus community through voice and text messages. 
• NORSE A!ERT is an emergency notification system that allows for the dissemination of vital information to students, faculty and staff. It allows you to sign up to receive voice and text messages in the event of an emergency on campus or weather-related closings.  For more information on how to subscribe to NORSE A!LERT click here. 
• The University will also use its homepage to communicate emergency information.  Depending upon the situation, emails could be sent to students themselves and/or to the emergency contact (parent, guardian) that students have specified.

What services do Northern Kentucky University police provide?

The Northern Kentucky University police is a full-service police agency, providing all services you would expect from a typical municipal police department. 

• NKUPD has an authorized strength of 19 sworn officers. 
• NKU officers are always on duty, patrolling the campus on foot, on bikes, and in cars 24 hours a day. 
• Officers respond to calls from the public, initiate enforcement action when they observe a crime, and engage in proactive patrol especially in the residence halls to deter crime, apprehend those committing violations, and provide an enhanced feeling of safety for residents and staff. 
• NKUPD also has a criminal investigations office staffed by a detective to follow up on criminal offense reports filed with the department.

What is the most common crime on campus?

Theft offenses, including burglary. Burglary can be as simple as entering an unlocked residence hall that is not yours. Most thefts and burglaries involved unlocked residence hall doors, academic office doors, unlocked vehicles, and unattended valuables. Students, faculty, and staff are reminded how important it is to keep doors locked and avoid leaving valuables unattended.

What about sexual assault?

Sexual assault is an unfortunate reality at NKU and on campuses nationwide. Our Web site provides the latest statistics, but since sexual assault is such an underreported crime, statistics alone can not provide an accurate picture.