
Safety
Columbia is not a dangerous city as long as you are careful. Here are some safety guidelines to remember.
1. Do not walk alone at night.
2. Do not carry a lot of cash around with you.
3. Do not tell strangers where you live.
4. There are little yellow safety boxes all around campus. If you push the button on this box it will call the USC police. If you are ever in danger, push the button on the yellow box and a USC policeman will come immediately.
5. If you have an emergency, you can call 911 for on-campus, or if you dial 911 from your cell phone tell the dispatcher you need USC Police and stay on the line until you are connected.
6. There are several services that are available to you to help you get home safely at night:
- From August to May, you can call the APO (USC) Escort Service at 777-3825 and they will send someone to meet you and walk you home. http://www.sc.edu/vmps/shuttle.html#apo
- USC’s Evening Shuttle operates from 6:00 PM - 12:30 AM, Monday through Friday. http://www.sc.edu/vmps/shuttle.html#evening
- USC’s Late Night Shuttle runs from 12:30 AM- 6:30 AM Sunday through Thursday nights. Call USC Police at 777-4215 to request the Late Night Shuttle. http://www.sc.edu/vmps/shuttle.html#latenight
7. Fire alarms are in buildings to protect you. If an alarm goes off you must leave the building. You must remain outside until a fireman says you can go inside.
8. Smoke detectors are in apartments to alert occupants of a fire. Do not tamper with fire alarms or cover them so that they will not make a sound. It is illegal to tamper with a smoke detector.
Important telephone numbers:
- City Police (emergency) : 911
- USC Police (General) : 777-4215
- USC Police (Emergency): 911
- APO (USC) Escort Service : 777-3825