Contact Public Safety
Available 24 hours, seven days a week
Public Safety (Non-Emergency)
609-896-5029
Public Safety (Emergency)
609-896-7777
Mission
Community - Integrity - Service
The safety and well-being of all members of the Rider community – students, faculty, staff and visitors – are of utmost importance to the University and a primary responsibility of the Department of Public Safety.
The Department provides members of the University community with a safe and pleasant environment in which to live, learn and work. The Department is responsible for the protection of life and property, the enforcement of University policies, the prevention and detection of on-campus crimes and other violations, emergency response management, and other safety services.
We encourage you to explore the Department’s web pages that follow and the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report to learn more about what Public Safety has to offer on our campuses:
- Incident and emergency response (including medical emergencies, fire safety and policy enforcement)
- Campus patrols and building walkthroughs
- Parking and traffic enforcement
- Crime prevention and education
Security and Fire Safety Report
With the annual publication of this report, Rider University complies with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (also known as the Clery Act or Campus Security act), codified as 20 U.S. C. 1092(f) as part of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
The Department of Public Safety encourages members of the Rider community to use this report as a guide for safe practices on and off campus. Paper copies are available from the Department by calling 609-896-5029, emailing Captain Matthew Babcock at [email protected], or stopping by the office.
RiderAlert
RiderAlert is the University’s electronic notification system for students, faculty and staff. RiderAlert utilizes cellphones, texts and email to communicate in an emergency, to relay weather related and other closings and to provide timely warnings as a means of preventing crimes or other serious incidents. For more information or to update your contact information, see RiderAlert. Remember that Rider Alert is only as useful as the contact information you provide.
Department of Public Safety Staffing
The Department is staffed by a director, captain, coordinator of public safety, senior detective and public safety officers who patrol the Lawrenceville campus on foot, in vehicles, and on bicycle 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Princeton officers patrol on foot and via a golf cart.
Public Safety officers are non-sworn University employees who do not have police powers. Officers who have not previously graduated from an accredited law enforcement academy prior to joining the Department are required to complete a 40-hour training program in campus law enforcement and security sponsored by the New Jersey College and University Public Safety Association. Officers are qualified in first aid, CPR for the Health Care Provider, fire response and participate in ongoing training throughout the year.
The Department’s Communications Desk is staffed with trained communications officers who answer calls for service, dispatch officers and other emergency services, register motor vehicles on campus, handle switchboard calls late at night, and monitor intrusion detection and fire alarm systems.
The Department also employs students on the Lawrenceville campus who assist with student escorts and patrol the parking lots and academic and residence quads for suspicious activity or problems that they then report immediately to Public Safety staff for response.