Public Safety
Protecting GCU With Integrity and Purpose
Mission Statement: GCU Public Safety is committed to serving the campus community through professionalism, collaboration, compassion and continuous improvement while building a culture of safety, trust and integrity.
Excellence
Striving for the highest standards through continuous improvement and accountability
Support
Honoring and uplifting our community by providing care and assistance
Transparency
Building trust through open communication, honesty and accountability
Professionalism
Demonstrating integrity, competence and respect in all that we do
Collaboration
Working together with our campus and community partners to achieve common goals
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 February 2026.
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.
Our personnel also offer 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
Alert GCU
Behavioral Concern Reporting: LopeSAFE Form
Lost and found
Drone Safety Program
Committed to Campus and Community Safety
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, GCU’s 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.
Hear From Our Students
"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."
"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."
Contact and Consumer Information
Contact Information
Consumer Information
Behavioral Concern Reporting System - LopeSAFE (Formerly TIPS)
The LopeSAFE reporting form is for you to share concerns and tips related to a student, employee or visitor of GCU or our partner company, GCE. Reporting behavioral concerns helps connect students, faculty and staff with the support they need before the situation escalates.
If you want to report a concern anonymously, please enter "anonymous" in the name field on the form.
If this is a threat emergency, please call 602-639-8100 (GCU Public Safety) or 911 immediately. This form will be received during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm).
Student Protest Policy
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
Surviving an imminent threat counts on three principles: Run, hide and fight. Watch this video to know how to protect yourself and others in the event of an imminent threat.