Public Safety
Public Safety Department (PSD)
The safety of Grand Canyon University's students, faculty, staff and guests at our campus and satellite sites is a top priority. The PSD has over 260 public safety professionals as of January 2025. Our personnel also offers the following resources/services:
- Dispatch Center
- Sworn police officers
- Campus safety guards
- Parking permits and enforcement
- Emergency blue light phones throughout campus and in every garage
- Emergency text messaging – RAVE
- Anonymous ‘TIPs’ reporting
- Lost and found
Employees of the PSD are a combination of AZPOST certified police officers, campus safety guards, dispatchers, administrative support, student workers and part-time events staff. Additional information regarding programs and services can be viewed by watching, “GCU Public Safety Department” and “Surviving an Active Shooter” videos located on this page.
GCU and the PSD have continued to partner with the Phoenix Police Department in an innovative agreement titled, “Neighborhood Safety Initiative.” The NSI focuses on crime suppression programs in the neighborhoods and streets surrounding GCU to include campus properties.
Located in the Grove's parking garage (Building 80) on the first floor, the PSD operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can contact PSD by phone at 602-639-8100 or by asking any Campus Safety Guard or Police Officer for assistance.
It’s incredible how hard GCU works to keep the campus safe. That's huge for me. And for a lot of girls, I think. It’s really amazing to be able to go for a run or not have to be scared to walk across campus.
GCU is a private, gated and secure campus with its own dedicated police force. The public cannot come onto campus grounds without permission and must pass through a security checkpoint, which severely limits protests that largely consist of outside instigators.
As a private Christian university, GCU does not have a history of protests on campus. Our students are not prone to group demonstrations or verbal attacks on other individuals or groups of people. If there is a cause to support, rather than protest, GCU students are more likely to serve in an effort to help people who are in disadvantaged situations. That is consistent with our Christian mission and what is taught in our classrooms — that students are not here to be served (protests) but rather to serve others.
GCU strongly believes in free speech and, as part of our educational mission, encourages students to share their perspectives and experiences both inside and outside the classroom through civil discourse and thoughtful discussion. The university is very clear about who it is and what it stands for while also promoting respectful conversations as a way to foster deeper understanding of complex issues.
In the event that students do wish to express their viewpoint in a more coordinated or group setting, unlawful actions, violence and violations of GCU policy are not tolerated. Free speech is not a hall pass to infringe on prohibited activities. Such actions have consequences, up to and including suspension, and students must be prepared to own those consequences. View our academic policies to learn more.
Surviving an Active Shooter
Prepare yourself to survive an active shooting event by watching the FBI-sponsored video "RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. ® Surviving an Active Shooting Event."
Video Copyright © 2012 City of Houston.
Incident Reporting System - TIPS
The online TIPS reporting tool allows you to confidentially report a suspicious event, criminal activity, bullying, harassment or potential risk that may require a safety officer's intervention.