September Safe Campus Update

☝️First things first

Welcome to a new semester at the University of Minnesota! Safety isn’t just about reflective vests and pepper spray–it’s also about protecting your mental energy, knowing how to spot a scammer, and feeling free to be exactly who you are without judgment. The Safe Campus Update is a monthly resource filled with info, tools, and resources that support safety in every sense of the word. You can learn more about safety at the University on the Safe Campus website.

📣Your freedom, your responsibility

You know what’s great about the First Amendment? It means you can debate the world’s toughest problems and share your opinions—even if they’re unpopular. But here’s the thing, you also have a responsibility to abide by policies and laws that are in place to make sure that the University continues to be a safe and welcoming place. 

• Geek out on all things freedom of expression at the Office for Student Affairs’ Freedom of Expression website.
• Report acts of discrimination and harassment to the Bias Response and Referral Network (BRRN).

🔦Light up Dinkytown with DPS 

Join the Department of Public Safety’s Dinkytown safety walking group this Friday and Saturday to engage with our off-campus neighbors and positively influence our community. 

• When: 6 p.m.-11 p.m. (come and go as you please!)
• Where: Meet in front of the new Off-Campus Safety Center (315 14th Ave SE Minneapolis, MN)

If you’ve got the time, head over to the safety center early on Saturday (4 p.m.-6 p.m.) for some free pizza and conversations with the University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD).

🚧Safety roundup: Stay out of a (traffic) jam

• Skip a beat: Take out the AirPods and pause the TikToks before crossing. Your playlist can wait—safety can't!
• Road rules: Follow all signage and rules of the road to keep traffic moving as smoothly as possible.
• Construction corral: Those bright cones and barricades? Not just for decoration! Stick to the safe paths and avoid any unnecessary drama with bulldozers. 
• Rack it up: U-locks are the top-tier choice of bike locks on campus. Get one, then lock your bike or scooter to a designated rack.
• Ready and waiting: Skip the guesswork with GopherTrip and the Transit Hub to stay in the loop on details about campus shuttle and circulator schedules, routes, and alerts.

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