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The Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) provides important information about safety and security on the Harvard campus, as well HUPD services for the Harvard community. See the HUPD website for Harvard campus safety information, your role in campus safety, and all HUPD services.

In an emergency on campus, call (617) 495-1212 or use a blue light phone to reach the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD).

Blue Light Phones are police assistance phones at various outdoor locations throughout the campus. They have blue lights above them for easy identification. Use these phones to report suspicious activity, crimes in progress, or any emergency situation. The dispatcher will identify the location of the phone being used and will dispatch police and other security personnel as necessary.

MessageMe Emergency Notification

MessageMe is Harvard University’s emergency notification system. In the event of an emergency or significant disruption in operations, the University will use MessageMe to quickly distribute critical information to all active Harvard faculty, staff, students, and other community members who are likely to be on campus. This system operates in parallel with other notification systems, such as Harvard University Police Department announcements and University website announcements.

The Extension School will send a MessageMe text alert to “FAS Extension School” MessageMe subscribers if Extension classes are cancelled or the Extension School is closed due to severe weather or other emergency.

MessageMe uses your HarvardKey contact information to alert you. You can review this information and provide additional notification methods by updating your MessageMe profile. We encourage you to confirm your contact preferences and update your contact profile to facilitate rapid and effective communication if there is a campus emergency.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report Availability

The University is required by federal law (The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 U.S.C. 1092(f), known as the “Clery Act”) to publish an Annual Security Report and an Annual Fire Safety Report.

The Harvard University Police Department publishes the Annual Security Report, which includes information about the HUPD, how to report a crime, HUPD’s crime prevention programs, substance abuse, sensitive crimes, emergency notifications, and other important information about security and HUPD services on campus. It also contains three years of statistics on reported campus or campus-related crimes. A hard copy of the Annual Security Report may be obtained by contacting the Harvard University Police Department at 1033 Massachusetts Avenue, 6th floor, Cambridge, MA 02138, (617) 495-9225.

The Harvard University Environmental Health and Safety Department publishes the Annual Fire Safety Report, which includes fire safety polices, evacuation procedures, and fire statistics. A hard copy of the Annual Fire Safety Report may be obtained by contacting the Environmental Health and Safety Department at 46 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 496-7168.

Weather Cancellations

See Severe Weather and Other Emergency Cancellations for more information.