Safety

Emergencies 

If you are confronted by a thief, do not resist or risk your safety. 

In an emergency, dial 100 from any on-campus phone (this will call the MIT Campus Police) or call 911, the emergency number for all of the United States (for fire, police, or medical emergency). If you are using your cell phone or a pay phone, you can report an emergency to the MIT Campus Police by calling 617-253-1212. 

Review Resources and Emergency Protocol for additional guidance.  

Safety on campus 

• Notice the location of blue-light emergency phones on the MIT campus. 
• If there is a blizzard or snowstorm, call the campus snow line 617-253-SNOW (7669) or check http://emergency.mit.net/ to see if MIT is open. 
• Sign up for "MIT Alert," MIT's emergency notification program, designed to provide information and advisories through voicemail, email, and text messages for the safety and security of the MIT community.  
• Use the MIT Safe Ride shuttle service when traveling to and from campus. It runs from 6pm to 2:30am Sunday-Wednesday, and from 6pm to 3:30am Thursday-Saturday.  
• If you are working in a laboratory alone, very late at night, call the Campus Police at 617-253-1212, to let them know you are there. 

Safety at home 

• Keep your apartment/house/dorm room locked at all times even when you are there. Lock your car, even when you are in it. 
• Always look through the peephole of your house or apartment door and fasten the safety chain before opening the door for a stranger. 
• Tell your landlord about potential security problems, such as broken locks, burnt out stairway lights, and outside doors left unlocked. 
• Ask service people (telephone or electric company workers, police, etc.) for proper identification when they ask to enter your apartment/house/dorm room. 

Documents, money and possessions 

• Scan and/or photocopy the identity page(s), all visa pages, and admission stamp or Form I-94 in your passport. Keep photocopies in a place separate from your passport. These copies are very helpful in replacing a lost or stolen passport. 
• Do not carry all your money with you wherever you go. 
• Keep your wallet, backpack, and pocketbook with you at all times. Do not leave these possessions unattended, even for short periods of time. 
• Register your laptop and your bicycle with the MIT Campus Police. 

• Laptop registration information   
• Bicycle registration information 

Safety while walking and driving 

• Do not hitchhike (do not accept car rides from strangers). 
• Walk on well-lit streets at night, where other people are walking. Avoid dark alleyways. It is best to walk with other people, when possible. 
• Scan the area ahead, around, and behind you whenever you are walking on the street. Change direction, cross the street, or enter a busy building if you get the feeling that someone near you might be a problem. 

^{Page updated August 2023}