Criminal activity

Experiencing or witnessing a crime can be difficult and distressing. Please know that there are support and reporting options available to you. The following resources are available to anyone who needs them, including staff, faculty, and other academic appointees, postdocs, and students.

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Reporting crimes

In an emergency, call 911 immediately. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, have limited speech capabilities, or cannot safely call 911, please use Text-to-911 (use the text feature on a cellphone).

Non-Emergencies: To report a crime that is no longer in progress or a series of crimes you have observed, please call the Berkeley University of California Policy Department (UCPD) on the non-emergency line (510) 642-6760. 

To report fraud, theft, or embezzlement affecting the University, please submit a report to the UC Whistleblower Hotline.

In-person reporting: You may also make a report to UCPD in person at 1 Sproul Hall (basement) anytime, 24-hours, 7 days a week.

If the crime you are reporting occurred off-campus, you may report it to the local law enforcement department. You may also report it to UCPD, who will assist in coordinating with the appropriate department. 

Anonymous tips: To send an anonymous tip via text message to the UCPD, text the keyword UCPD and your tip to 847411. 

For more information about reporting crimes to law enforcement, please visit the UCPD website

Examples of criminal activity include:

  • Burglary
  • Theft and motor vehicle theft
  • Murder/manslaughter
  • Robbery
  • Liquor, drug, and weapon arrests and referrals
  • Sexual assault/rape, relationship violence, stalking (please see the Sexual Violence page)
  • Aggravated assault and simple assault
  • Arson
  • Hate crimes (see the Hate or Bias Incident page for more information and resources)

When reporting is required

UC employees: Please remember that unless you are a designated confidential resource, you are required as a Responsible Employee to inform the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) when, in the course of your work, you learn that someone has experienced sexual violence. For more information about this obligation, please visit the Responsible Employees page of the campus SVSH hub website.

Campus Security Authorities (CSAs): You are required under the Jeanne Clery Act to report alleged crimes using the online Campus Security Authority (CSA) form. CSAs should provide the Notice of Rights and Options for Survivors of SVSH to any reporting parties of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. You can find more information on the UC Berkeley Clery Division website.

Mandated Reporters: You must report observed or suspected child abuse/neglect, elder or dependent adult abuse/neglect, and/or that a person poses a risk of imminent harm to themselves or someone else. California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (“CANRA”) Mandated Reporters must report observed or suspected child abuse or neglect to agencies designated to receive such reports. These include police and sheriff’s departments, such as the UC Police Department, and county welfare departments.

For more information about these reporting requirements, please refer to the Understanding Reporting Obligations page of the campus SVSH hub website. 

Support resources

If you have witnessed or been the victim of a crime, there are resources available to support you. 

  • For employees, one good place to start is Be Well at Work - Employee Assistance, which provides no-cost confidential counseling and referral for UC Berkeley faculty, staff, visiting scholars, and postdocs.  
  • For students, one good place to start is Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). 
  • If you have been affected by sexual violence, a good place to start for all community members is the confidential PATH to Care Center. For 24/7 urgent support, please call the Care Line at 510-643-2005.

For more information about how the campus responds to crime

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