Jump to . . .
Personal Safety
Information about the PSU Campus Public Safety Office (CPSO)
Emergency: 503-725-5911 or call 911
Non-Emergency: 503-725-4407
Website: www.pdx.edu/cpso
Staying safe in Portland
Portland is considered to be a very safe city, but just as you would in any large city in the world, there are some simple precautions you can take to ensure your personal safety. And for students, there are some things to consider which you might not otherwise think of.
Keep an eye on your personal belongings – do not leave purses, wallets, laptops and other electronic devises unattended while using the restroom or going to look for a book in the library, for example.
When you buy your textbooks, keep the receipt separate from your books – if they are together, and someone steals your bag, they can return your books for a full refund within the first few days of the term. Then you’ve lost your books AND your money.
Campus public safety can help you engrave your passport number on your laptop, your bicycle, or anything else you’d like to have identified.
Keep your passport in a safe place. If it is stolen, report it to your embassy in the U.S. and to ISSS.
With respect to your personal safety, keep the following in mind:
- Be aware of your surroundings – look like you know where you are.
- Portland State is located in the downtown area where there are not always a lot of people at night. If you are out alone, stay in lighted areas and don’t walk alone at night in areas with which you are unfamiliar.
- Both men and women may use the Women’s Union Escort Service (503-725-5682) to request an escort between your class and your on-campus room or transportation after dark.
- If you feel like someone is following you or threatening you in any way while you are on campus, step into any campus building and call Security (503-725-4404). If you are off campus, call 911 or go into the nearest open business.
- If at any time you experience racial discrimination or harassment from others on the basis of your appearance, ignore negative comments and contact ISSS for help.
This information is not meant to scare you in any way. Portland really is a very safe city. And if you take a few extra precautions, your time in Portland will be wonderful!
Sex is probably not a topic you’d expect to find here, but we find that many international students have difficulty interpreting relationships of an intimate nature. It’s important that you have some information about this type of relationship as well as some resources to use if you have questions.
- It is illegal in the U.S. for one person to force another to have sex no matter what the situation. It is okay to tell another person you do not want to have sex, regardless of your relationship. If you are forced to have sex, it is rape and it is a criminal offense. If you have been raped, do not try to deal with it alone. Call one of the resources listed below for help.
Important Safety Contacts:
- Women’s Resource Center 503-725-5672
- Campus Security (Emergency) 503-725-4404
- Campus Security (non-Emergency) 503-725-4407
- Sexual Assault Resource Center 503-640-5311
- Crisis Hotline 503-235-5333
- Bradley-Angle House Crisis Line 503-281-2442
- Women's Resource Center 503-725-5672
- 211 Community resource helpline 503-226-3099
- Crisis Hotline Clackamas Co. 503-655-8724
- Crisis Pregnancy Centers:
- NE Halsey, Portland 503-256-0808
- Lloyd Center, Portland 503-284-1977
- SE Portland 503-777-7097
- Gresham 503-666-6527
- Beaverton 503-643-4503
- Clackamas 503-659-3336
Beware of Scams!
Be aware of various scams that attempt to get personal and financial information from you or insist that you pay large sums of money or you will be arrested or deported. These scams may be disguised as correspondence from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), police or other government agencies or financial institutions.
An example is an email that appears to be from the IRS, stating that the recipient is eligible for a tax refund and providing a web link to obtain the refund. The e-mail requires the recipient to reply within a time limit. This e-mail is NOT from the IRS, but is an attempt to gain access to personally identifiable information, including social security number and credit card information. Do not respond to such an email! Read the IRS warning message at http://www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing.
There has also been an increase in aggressive phone scams where people call and threaten you with police arrest or deportation if you don't pay them. If you get a call like this, just HANG UP. The scammers may have personal information about you and will try to keep you on the phone and pressure you to act quickly. They may also tell you that your phone line is being monitored and that if you contact anyone you will be arrested immediately. Do not engage them in conversation, even if they call repeatedly - just hang up. Contact International Student & Scholar Services (503-725-4094 or jscholar@pdx.edu) or campus police (503-725-4407) if you are not sure what to do, even if the caller tells you not to.
The IRS, ICE or other government agencies will NEVER call and demand immediate payment over the phone.
The IRS, ICE or other government agencies will NEVER try to threaten or intimidate you, demand payment with a prepaid debit card, or ask for your credit card or debit card number over the phone.
The IRS, ICE or other government agencies will NOT deport you if you don't pay.
If these agencies want to get in touch with you, police and immigration officers will come find you in person and will have badges to identify who they are. The IRS will ONLY contact you by mail.
Report IRS scam calls to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by calling 800-366-4484 or visiting www.tigta.gov. Report any scam involving demands for money to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/complaint. You can also report these to the FBI at www.ic3.gov.
For information about immigration-based scams, visit www.uscis.gov/avoidscams.
For more information on Phishing Attacks (electronic fraud through email) please see Portland State’s OITs webpage here: https://www.pdx.edu/technology/email-web-link-standard