Crime Alert Programs

• UW Alert

  The University of Washington provides emergency notification of significant threats to people’s health and safety, and that’s where the UW Alert system comes into play. To speed the process, an on-call campus committee convenes to quickly assess whether or not the circumstances represent a serious or continuing threat. An incident that could disrupt normal operations or threatens the health or safety of members of the UW community can trigger an alert. UW Alert is offered on a voluntary self-subscription basis for current UW faculty, staff and students at the University of Washington. To sign up, visit the UW Alert Web site.

• UWPD Notifications of Criminal Incidents

  In addition to UW Alert, the UWPD sends out notifications to keep the university community informed about safety-related issues and certain crimes committed on or adjacent to the campus. We design these notifications to provide important information to assist in the prevention of similar crimes. The intent of the warnings is to enable members of the campus community to protect themselves, so the warnings include information that promotes your safety, such as crime prevention tips.

  The university determines if a notification will be issued on a case-by case basis in light of all the facts surrounding the crime, including the nature of the crime, the continuing danger to the campus community and the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts. The University of Washington Police Department broadcasts timely warnings by email and through the use of a listserv and social media (Facebook, Twitter). In order to provide timely information, the police department works in partnership with the Office of Media Relations, UW Technology, members of the Division of Student Life, Emergency Management and the Seattle Police and Seattle Fire Departments.

  Timely warnings are posted on the UWPD’s Crime Alerts page.

The more informed we are all, the safer we can be. The University of Washington Police Department values our collaboration with students, faculty and staff to reduce crime and resolve problems. For more campus safety resources, please visit the UW Safety Portal Web site.