Security Services

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  • Reporting a crime

    If you witness a crime, or are a victim of a crime, always report it to the police and to the University Security Service

    Find out more
    Student talking to security officer
  • SafeZone

    SafeZone is an app that everyone on campus can use to ask for help.

    Find out more
    Person using SafeZone app
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Security Services

Dedicated to providing a welcoming, safe and secure campus

Leeds is a great place to live and study. It’s important to be prepared and take simple steps to stay safe and to know what to do if you’re a victim of crime. The University’s Security Service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We offer crime prevention advice, patrol the campus, investigate crimes and respond to alarms and emergencies.

SAFEZONE

SafeZone is an app that everyone on campus can use to ask for help.

Find out more

CRIME PREVENTION

Simple steps to keep yourself and your possessions safe.

Find out more

BIKE REGISTER

Find out how you can register your bike.

Find out more

LOST PROPERTY

Find out how you can reclaim lost property from the Security office.

Find out more

Staying safe in Leeds

Leeds is a great place to live and study, but it’s important to take simple steps to keep yourself and your possessions safe.

  • Make sure you keep your front door closed and locked even if you’re in. When you leave, close all of your doors and windows
  • Use a timer device so your lights will still come on when you’re away for any period of time
  • Make sure you have high quality locks on your doors. Ask your landlord/letting agent if they meet the latest standards – TS007 (3 star rating) or SS312 (Sold Secure Diamond Standard)
  • Use your burglar alarm even if you’re just going out for a short period of time
  • Keep all of your valuables stored out of sight and away from windows
  • When you’re out and about keep your valuables out of sight. Have your phone in your pocket or bag, and don’t wear headphones as these can be valuable and make you less aware of what’s going on around you
  • When you’re in a bar or a café, consider looping your bag strap under your chair leg
  • Never leave your valuables unattended, even if you are studying in libraries or study areas
  • Be aware of someone trying to distract you (for instance by trying to hand you a leaflet) in order to make theft easier
  • Download tracking software to your laptop and phone – preyproject.com
  • Be aware of how to stay safe online. If it looks too good to be true, it’s probably a scam – don’t buy it or engage with it
  • Make sure you check the details of who you’re talking to. If they claim to be an official representative of an organisation, ask for their name and department. You can then check online to confirm their identity
  • If in doubt ask for advice from Security, your personal tutor, your friends or your family.
  • Never send money to a stranger, no matter what they have said
  • For more information on online security, make sure you complete the online IT induction
  • Make sure to secure your bike with a D lock with a ‘sold secure’ rating. Anything without this is a poor quality lock, and will leave your bike at risk of being stolen
  • Always secure your bike to something solid and secure, ideally a bike rack
  • Mark the frame of your bike with your permanent home postcode and house number using an ultraviolet pen or etching tool
  • Bike Register:  when you register your bike on this national database we will attach a tag to it, free of charge,  so that it can be easily identified should it get lost or stolen. Look out for Bike Register events on campus to get yours, stop a member of the Security team on campus, or ring Security to make an appointment
  • At night, avoid taking shortcuts through badly lit areas such as alleys and parks. Stay in groups and stick to well-lit areas. Never walk home with strangers
  • Know your limits with alcohol, and make sure that you watch your drinks. If a stranger buys you a drink, make sure you can see it being poured and that you take it straight from the bartender
  • Use a taxi to get home, make sure it’s a legitimate taxi either from a marshalled taxi rank or a pre-booked private hire such as Amber Cars. Never share a taxi with strangers
  • Amber Cars will take you home even if you don’t have any money on you. Simply give them your student ID, and you can collect it and pay for the taxi at the students’ union three days later

All you need to know about staying safe in Leeds

Our ‘staying safe in Leeds’ guide provides you with everything you need to know about the services we offer, and additional tips on what you can do yourself to stay safe and secure whilst on campus and in the city.

We are here to help and make sure you have a safe time in Leeds!

If you are affected by crime or witness a crime, please report it to either staff in your halls of residence, call the University Security Services or West Yorkshire Police.

Read our Staying safe in Leeds guide
A guide providing information on how to keep safe in Leeds

Reporting a crime

If you witness a crime, or are a victim of a crime, always report it to the police and to the University Security Service.

Security Services and the police work together to keep Leeds students as safe and secure as possible. It should be understood that, although a security officer will take a report of crime from an aggrieved person, it is important that the person also reports the matter to the police. This is necessary for insurance purposes.

Non-emergency
For all non-emergency situations call the police on 101
You should also telephone the University Security Service on 0113 343 5494
Emergency only
For emergency situations call the police on 999
You should also telephone the University Security Service on 0113 343 2222

Examples of descriptions that can help identify criminals

The most important pieces of information you can give the Police or Security, if you see someone acting suspiciously or committing a crime are:

Description of the offender.  Location of the offender. Direction the offender is travelling in.

People

  • Age and height (approximately)
  • Male/female
  • Hair: colour, length, style, etc
  • Build: tall, thin, stocky
  • Clothing
  • Other distinguishing features: scar, tattoo, missing fingers, etc

Vehicles

  • Make
  • Registration
  • Colour
  • Description of driver
  • Number of occupants
  • Type: saloon, estate, van, lorry, including any displayed names

SafeZone

SafeZone is an app that everyone on campus can use to ask for help. It is there to give you extra peace of mind in addition to the other support offered by the University.

It is linked to the University’s Security team who are on call to help you 24/7.

The app is free and easy to use. It has three main functions:

  • For help with a physical or mental health incident, press the green First Aid button if you are unable to follow local procedure, and a member of the Security team will assist you.
  • Press the blue ‘Non-Urgent’ button to connected to Security in a non-emergency situation, for example, if you are locked out of a building.
  • The red ‘Emergency’ button is for threatening situations when you are in immediate danger.

Once you have raised an alert, do not press ‘Cancel’ until your issue has been fully resolved.

Check-in timer

You can use this to share your location with the Security team if it would help you to feel more comfortable, for example if you are working alone in a building. Set the timer and if they don’t hear from you by the time it runs out, they’ll check in to see if you’re ok.

The check-in function has a drop-down menu with a Notes section. You should include details of your location and your activity, as well as the details of who to contact in case of emergencies.

You can use the SafeZone app on the main University campus, the University sports facilities at Weetwood and Bodington.

These areas are geofenced which enables the app to connect to the Security team. If you use the app outside geofenced areas, you will still be able to call 999 in an emergency.

Whether or not you are in a geofenced area, the coordinates of your location will be displayed on your screen.

SafeZone app

How to use SafeZone

To download, search for ‘SafeZone’ or go to app stores.

Download SafeZone app for iPhones Download SafeZone app for Android

Compatible to iPhones IOS v12+ and Android v6+.

To register, please use your University email address – personal email addresses will not work. Providing a photo when prompted is helpful so that responders can identify you.

Your location and profile is shared only when you check in or submit an alert. Once an alert has been closed, your location will stop being shared with the Security team.

SafeZone conforms to the University’s data protection policies, and only shares your location when you submit an alert or use the check-in function which is located above the green, red and blue buttons.

For general questions about using the app, the technology or privacy, SafeZone has a comprehensive list of FAQs on its website. Please note that not all the FAQs on the SafeZone website apply to the way that the University is using the app.

For any other questions, please contact security@leeds.ac.uk.

Read more about advice for students on staying safe in Leeds.

Bike Register and Drop-Ins

Help yourself to keep your bike safe.

When you register your cycle on the BikeRegister national database, we will mark it with a National Cycle Database security marking kit, free of charge, so that it can be easily identified should it get lost or stolen.

We are holding BikeRegister drop-ins on Mondays to Fridays, 10am to 2pm at the Security office, where we will help you to register and mark your bike. This is open to staff and students. You can find us at 175 Woodhouse Lane, about two minutes’ walk from Laidlaw Library.

You can also book an appointment in advance.

Book now

Do remember to use a good quality D-lock when securing your bike. You can buy them at a discounted price from us at the Security office.

Crime Prevention Advice

For further advice and guidance please feel free to contact us via phone, email or visit our Security Office:

Security Office
175 Woodhouse Lane
0113 343 5494/5

security@leeds.ac.uk

Lost property

Updated January 2022

If you have lost an item, you should check first with staff in the area that you last saw the item. For instance, in a University library go to the enquiries desk.

The University now uses an online system that aims to speed up the process of reuniting staff and students with their lost items. If the item is not at the location, please log it using our online form.

Log your lost item

Hubs

There are lost property hubs at the Print Copy Bureau at the Roger Stevens Building, Laidlaw Library, Brotherton Library and Edward Boyle Library.

The more hubs for lost property there are around the University, the more effective the system. There’s no charge for becoming a hub and support is provided by the Security team.

To find out more, complete our ‘request to become a recognised ‘NotLost’ property hub’ online form.

Request form

Managed by the central Security team but linked to hubs around the University, the system logs found items and stores them locally. It searches for your property and keeps you notified of progress by email.

Using cloud-based software, the Not Lost system brings many new efficiencies.

Identity documents

Student ID cards

Student ID cards are handed into the Student Services Centre, Level 9, Marjorie & Arnold Ziff Building. If your student card is handed in, you will receive an email to your student email account to let you know. Please follow the instructions in the email to collect your student card.

Passports

Passports are returned to the Passport Office or the relevant Embassy after one week.

Driving licences

British driving licences are returned to the DVLA after one week.

Accessible campus route

Security Services can provide out of hours key fobs to the University’s North-South Access Route.

The route is open to all students and staff throughout the day during the University’s main opening times. However, you will need a key fob if you need to access the north-south access route out-of-hours and at weekends.

The route begins at the main entrance of the University, near Parkinson Building, and ends at the Worsley Building. This route, which is marked by internal and external signage and involves the use of lifts at some points, is open to all staff and students during the day during the University’s main opening times. However, out of hours and at weekends, students and staff requiring access to this route will need to use a key fob (an electric unlocking device). You can apply for a key fob using the application form below.

Key fob application form

Please complete and return to the Security Services team (details are on the form) who will process this request for you.

Download key fob application form (Word)

Contact details

Security office

175 Woodhouse Lane

Non-emergencies

(0113) 343 5494/5

Emergencies only

(0113) 343 2222

WhatsApp video call

07876 866747

Email

security@leeds.ac.uk

First Aid & ambulance information

You can find First aid & ambulance information here.

University of Leeds Police Liaison Officer

PC 1754 Vanessa Jardine works with the University’s Security Service on campus.

You can contact her on:
07802 717097
Vanessa.jardine@westyorkshire.police.uk