Cal Poly Pomona has a long history of being a safe place to live and learn as a college student and to work as an employee.
Violent crimes among members of the campus community are extremely low, and the university’s semi-rural setting insulates it from many of the troubles that urban areas suffer from.
The University Police, a 28-strong department of officers and support staff, also shares credit for maintaining the campus’ secure and peaceful environment. The department is aware, however, that emergencies can arise at any time and without warning, and that being prepared is one of the most effective ways of protection.
“As we have seen with San Bernardino and other incidents, things can change in an instant,” says University Police Chief Bruce Wilson.
University Police officials want to remind the campus community of the many things they are doing to keep the university safe.
Wilson says University Police regularly undergo training for handling a variety of crises situations, and the university has a dynamic emergency plan that includes response to all emergencies.
“We do train with other agencies,” Wilson says. “We have to think about addressing a variety of possibilities and have to be prepared to change tactics midstream.”
In addition, University Police ask all members of the campus community — students, staff, faculty, alumni and family — to take a proactive role in ensuring the safety of themselves, their peers and coworkers at Cal Poly Pomona.
Many emergencies have been prevented by someone who followed the “see something, say something” mantra. Cal Poly Pomona also has a network in place for reporting suspicious or concerning activity. It is called PolyCARES, and it provides information for individuals who need help, identifies campus safety and mental health resources.
“If you see something suspicious, or something obvious or anything between those two extremes, report it,” Wilson says. “Take yourself out of the mindset that it couldn’t happen here. We don’t want people to live in paranoia, but we do want them to be cognizant of their surroundings.”
“We’ve actually seen crime go down over the years,” Wilson says. “For the 30 years I’ve been on campus, we’ve been fortunate that it’s been a very safe environment.”