The safety of Saint Louis University students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors is our top priority.
SLU’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) is staffed with 80 dedicated officers who patrol campus around the clock. Each is armed and licensed by the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners and has undergone training in both active shooter response and fair and impartial policing. As licensed private security officers, SLU DPS officers have the authority to arrest, and to search for and seize evidence in connection with an arrest while on Saint Louis University property.
How does SLU keep campus safe?
- Regular patrols of SLU buildings, garages and outdoor parking lots and outer edges of campus, including bus stops
- More than 1000 monitored video cameras throughout campus
- Around-the-clock response through the University's enhanced 911 system, which features an alternate power supply to ensure uninterrupted communication
- Crime prevention and emergency preparedness programs
- Safety escorts and emergency taxi service
- Outdoor emergency phones, and panic buttons and cameras in parking garages
- Panic buttons at residence hall front desks
Reporting a Crime to SLU DPS
All members of our community play an important role in keeping campus safe and are encouraged to report any criminal act, unsafe condition or suspicious activity.
Safety Escorts at SLU
All members of the SLU community can call DPS at 314-977-3000 for a walking escort on SLU property or surrounding streets.
SLU Ride also provides safety escorts in a van to areas on and adjacent to campus, including the Grand MetroLink station.
SLU Lost and Found
If you lose a personal item on campus, call 314-977-2376 or check our online listing of found items. DPS keeps found items for 60 days. They can be retrieved at the Wool Center.
Parking and Automobile-Related Assistance
Find out about where to park on campus, SLU parking regulations and how to pay a fine. If you've locked your keys in your car or have a dead battery, call DPS at 314-977-2376.
Safety Training and Education
In addition to AED/CPR, first aid and community emergency response training, SLU DPS offers:
- Campus Safety Training: Expand your understanding of how SLU's campus is kept safe, what you can do to help and how to recognize crime.
- Rape Aggression Defense Class: Open to females only, the class teaches basic self-defense techniques that can be practiced on a DPS officer.
- Active Shooter Training: This class offers up-to-date information on different response options in the rare event of an active shooter situation.
- Happy Hour Training: This class looks at how alcohol, if not consumed responsibly, can affect careers and personal life.
- Fire Extinguisher Training: Learn how to properly operate a fire extinguisher.
Email dps@slu.edu for more information.
SLU Emergency Notifications
Students, parents, faculty and staff are informed in the case of a campus emergency via SLU’s emergency notification system. Depending on the event, alerts may be issued by text, phone call, email, social media and through electronic signage on campus.