As we begin the fall semester, we are sharing several important updates and reminders about campus safety and security. This message includes information about receiving emergency alerts, building access controls, expanded security camera coverage, and the results of last year’s Community Survey on safety and security.

 

Brown maintains a commitment to advance safety and security while also supporting a welcoming and collaborative campus that supports the academic, operational and campus activities central to the University’s mission of education and research.

We encourage every member of the Brown community to take a few minutes at the beginning of the semester to:

●     Confirm your information for emergency alerts. Review and update your contact information to ensure you receive Rave BrownAlert emergency notifications.

●     Download the Rave Guardian app. The Rave Guardian app provides access to personal safety features and resources.

●     Review up to date safety and security information and FAQs. Visit the Campus Safety and Security webpage for information about building access, security cameras, personal safety, emergency preparedness, and other safety and security resources.

The University has continued to refine its approach to building access since last year to establish an approach that balances security requirements with the need for members of the Brown community, as well as alumni and other visitors, to make use of the campus. We have created a new webpage that provides up-to-date information about current building access control measures.

 

This new online resource describes the current status of building access for categories of buildings that include public-facing and retail facilities; dining and recreational facilities and libraries; and residence halls. It also provides information for alumni and affiliates who wish to make use of campus facilities, in addition to providing information related to building access for events and programs that welcome a wide range of visitors to campus.

 

Members of the Brown community should carry their Brown ID while on campus to help ensure they can access the buildings and facilities they need, including at designated entrances where card access is required. Most Brown University buildings require card access, though Brown also welcomes visitors to campus for a wide range of purposes.

Please visit the new Building Access Controls webpage to learn more, including guidance on who to contact in the event you have issues accessing a facility you are approved to enter using your Brown ID Card.

Brown has expanded security camera coverage across campus as part of our ongoing investments in physical security. Camera coverage has been expanded at points of ingress and egress at buildings identified for enhanced coverage based on factors including sensitive research, critical infrastructure, high levels of activity and other security considerations. All undergraduate residence halls are now equipped with cameras at points of ingress and egress.

 

Brown’s Security Camera Oversight and Recording Retention Policy establishes University-wide standards for the placement and use of security cameras, oversight of camera systems, access to recordings and retention of footage. Read more about Brown’s approach to security cameras in Brown’s Safety and Security Action Plan.

Brown’s Community Survey, administered every two years by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management (DPSEM), provides important insight into the measures that contribute to our community’s sense of safety. The 2025-26 survey results are now available on the DPSEM website.

 

When asked which physical security measures would most contribute to their sense of safety, respondents ranked additional cameras outside buildings as the highest-rated measure. This feedback helped guide the camera investments described above and will continue to inform our assessment of camera needs across campus.

 

Lighting was the second-highest-rated measure for influencing a sense of safety. Brown is undertaking a review of campus lighting to identify opportunities for enhancements to lighting technology and to develop recommendations for future investments. This review builds on and is in addition to an annual campus lighting study conducted by the University.

 

The biennial DPSEM community survey will continue to serve as an important mechanism for collecting community input to inform safety enhancements. This fall, Brown is also launching a new Campus Safety Advisory Committee, with student, faculty and staff representation, to provide ongoing advice and input on campus safety and security matters.

The safety and well-being of the Brown community remain among our highest priorities. We will continue to strengthen our approaches to campus safety and security, learn from experience, listen to our community and invest in the people, practices and resources that support a safe and welcoming campus.

 

We ask all faculty, staff and students to contribute to the safety of our community. For safety concerns or situations requiring a public safety response, please contact DPSEM at:

●     Emergency Police, Fire or Medical Response (24 hours): Call (401) 863-4111

●     Non-Emergency Public Safety Response: Call (401) 863-3322 or email campus_safety@brown.edu

 

If you notice a camera, card reader, blue-light phone or other security technology that appears to be broken or malfunctioning, please submit a work order through the IT Help Portal. And for additional information about Brown’s safety and security practices and resources, please review the Campus Safety and Security FAQs.

 

We are grateful to every member of the Brown community for the role you play in contributing to the safety of our campus.

 

Sarah Latham, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration

Hugh T. Clements Jr., Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management, Chief of Police