Campus Safety
Vanderbilt University Police Department
The Vanderbilt University Police Department provides comprehensive law enforcement and security services to all components of Vanderbilt University including the main campus, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Health at One Hundred Oaks, and a variety of University-owned facilities throughout the Davidson County area.
Theft of unsecured property is one of the most prevalent crimes on college campuses. Operation ID is a theft prevention program offered free of charge by the Vanderbilt University Police Department. This program involves keeping records of your personal properties’ serial number and a detailed description of the item, as well as applying a theft deterrent sticker to bicycles and laptops.
The Vanderbilt University Police Department administers the Vandy Vans shuttle bus service at Vanderbilt University. The Vandy Vans pick up and drop off at pre-designated points on campus. The service operates from 5:00 PM to 5:00 AM during the fall and spring semesters and follow three routes.
A walking escort to and from the designated stops may be requested by dialing (615) 421-8888, or 1-8888 from a campus phone, after which, a representative from VUPD will be dispatched to the caller’s location, or to a designated meeting point to accompany the caller to his or her destination.
Emergency phones are conveniently located throughout the campus. Each phone has an emergency button that, when pressed, automatically dials the VUPD Communications Center. An open line on any emergency phone will activate a priority response from an officer. An officer will be sent to check on the user of the phone, even if nothing is communicated to the dispatcher.
From a cell phone, dial (615) 421-1911 to summon an emergency response on campus. Dial 911 for an off-campus emergencies.
SafeVU
SafeVU is a free mobile safety application for iOS and Android smartphones. The app allows users to connect directly from their cell phones to the Vanderbilt University Police Department.
With SafeVU you can:
- Contact VUPD for emergency services with two easy taps
- Submit non-emergency reports to VUPD with text, photos, or videos
- Submit information to VUPD anonymously
- Assign contacts to monitor your safety at your request
- Access information about Vandy Vans
- View VUPD emergency guides
AlertVU
AlertVU rapidly sends messages to the delivery points the user has chosen—cell phone (voice or text), land line, or Vanderbilt email account—in the event of an emergency that poses an imminent threat or danger to the Vanderbilt community. Examples of such a threat include a tornado forecasted to strike Vanderbilt, or an active shooter on campus. All Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in the system using their Vanderbilt email address. Click here to update your contact information.
Severe Weather Warning System
The Vanderbilt University Severe Weather Warning Sirens will be activated if tornados are detected within 30 minutes of campus. This warning is specific for Vanderbilt and is not a general Nashville alert. The Metro Nashville tornado sirens are activated if there is a National Weather Service tornado warning for any part of Davidson County.