Rhode Island School of Design - Safety & Security

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Even though Providence is a city, most students feel safe while they’re on campus and the immediate surrounding areas. The blue-light emergency phones, Public Safety officers’ patrols, strict building access, and the RISD Rides system keep the feeling of on-campus safety high. The RISD Rides shuttle service runs from the 7 p.m. to 3 a.m., and it will take students from a residence to campus or campus to residence. Students who live on campus may catch the shuttle during its regular stops along a fixed route, and students living off campus may call for a specific pickup and will be reached within 15 minutes. While it is still being improved and refined, RISD Rides is not completely satisfactory. There is a route that the shuttle adheres to which circumnavigates the area in which most students live, but there are students who live outside of this area who have been left out of the loop.

While most students feel safe on campus, they also have had some conflict with the officers who carry out this objective. It is to be expected that such figures of authority may rub students the wrong way from time to time. Often, these run-ins have to do with officers who are trying to close studio buildings while students are trying to stay and finish their work. However, representatives of Public Safety often communicate with student groups to find out how they may better protect the student community. A policy in which individual Public Safety officers are assigned to each student house is an effort not to police students, but to increase communication and improve relations.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Security is pretty good. They’re... Security is pretty good. They’re pretty strict about getting doors locked and who has access to rooms. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

I think campus feels pretty safe,... I think campus feels pretty safe, most of the time, but I get a little skittish walking around at three in the morning. I wouldn’t walk around on parts other than Thayer Street and Wickenden Street by myself after dark. Definitely travel in groups after dark when off campus. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

I think it’s pretty safe and... I think it’s pretty safe and secure on campus. I never like walking alone on Thayer St. in the middle of the night, it scares me. Also, I wouldn’t walk alone near the East Side of Providence, like where Brook and Arnold St. intersect. That park over there is very sketchy at night. I think RISD Ride is doing a fantastic job sending students from on-campus areas to off-campus areas. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

It seems like Brown kids get... It seems like Brown kids get mugged more than we do, but supposedly it happens to us, too. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

On campus, it’s pretty good. The... On campus, it’s pretty good. The shuttle system has improved greatly, meaning you never have to be walking home alone at night. For a city of its size, Providence is not a very dangerous place, and the RISD area is the poshest section of Providence. You shouldn’t be out alone at 2 a.m. or leave expensive electronics around, but I feel safe enough. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Did You Know?

Most crimes actually happen on Brown’s campus or the surrounding area but not actually on RISD campus.

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Name: Helen Koh
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Major: Graphic Design/Painting

Helen is very good at sandwich making.

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