Office of Public Safety


The Office of Public Safety at Gwynedd Mercy University is committed to the safety and security of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Our primary concern is to nurture and sustain a safe environment for you to learn, live and work.

Security is provided on each of our three campus locations, with the largest presence on our Main Campus in Gwynedd Valley based on the number of people and buildings located there.

GMercyU’s Gwynedd Valley campus is monitored by 16 security officers, at least three on duty, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can give us a call, stop by our office in St. Brigid Hall or use one of the various emergency call boxes on campus.

For emergencies:  215-641-5522 ext. 21111.
For non-urgent matters: 215-646-7300, ext. 21522.

Emergency call boxes are strategically located across the Gwynedd Valley campus to provide immediate response by Public Safety and Security 24 hours a day.

To help keep our campus a safe and secure place, we work closely with campus departments and student groups. You can help us keep GMercyU a safe environment by:

  • Becoming familiar with the University Community
  • Reading the Student Handbook, Faculty Handbook, Employee Handbook, and the UPDATE for details on all security procedures (all found on the  GMercyU portal)
  • Taking appropriate precautions to minimize potential risks

Public Safety works with the Lower Gwynedd police or state police as necessary to respond to possible violations of local or state laws. Any criminal incident is reported to state and local police. All such reports are fully investigated in cooperation with police authorities. Public Safety and Security personnel neither carry weapons nor have arrest powers, but work with the police in the event that an arrest is warranted.

Important Gwynedd Mercy University Public Safety Resources

After Hours Building Entry
Clery Act Report
Anti-hazing Report (PDF)
Daily Crime and Fire log
e2Campus
Emergency Manual (PDF)
Fire Statistics
2019 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (PDF)
Important Phone Numbers
Pennsylvania College & University Information Act Crime Rates
Policies and Procedures
Reporting Crimes & Safety Concerns
Security Escort Program and Express Student Shuttle
Sexual Misconduct Policy - Title IX  
Student Conduct Incident Reporting Form

e2Campus

What exactly is e2Campus? 

e2Campus is a universal notification system that allows Gwynedd Mercy University to send time-sensitive messages to the mobile phones, email, and/or pagers of their subscribers (students, faculty, staff, and others). In the event of an emergency, you can get notified immediately of the situation, wherever you are geographically.

Sign up for e2Campus.

GMercyU Public Safety policies and procedures

Gwynedd Mercy University expects all members of the campus community to comply with federal, state and local laws. Policies and procedures designed to maintain harmony and personal welfare on campus are found in the Student Handbook, the Residence Life Handbook, the Faculty Handbook and the Employee Handbook on GMercyU’s portals.

In support of the mission of GMercyU, the University Community upholds the following standards of conduct:

  • Respect and equal treatment of all individuals
  • Social responsibility and Christian moral behavior
  • Respect for lawful authority

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After Hours Building Entry

Public Safety will assist students, faculty, and staff with entry to buildings on campus after hours.

All classrooms and essential building are opened at 6 a.m. and close and 11 p.m.

If you need access to a building after hours, or if you have forgotten your keys to a building, call Security at 215-646-7300, ext. 21522 and an officer will be dispatched to the specified location.

Please be prepared to show the officer your GMercyU ID or another form of identification (driver's license), if your Gwynedd Mercy University identification is not available.

The computer labs in Keiss and St. Bernard Halls cannot be opened by the officer without prior approval from the IT department.

Also, if you received assistance from a security officer to enter a building, please remember to call Security at 215-646-7300, ext. 21522 when you leave the building.

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GMercyU's Security Escort Program and Express Student Shuttle

The Public Safety and Security Escort Program

  • Available to all students, administration, faculty, staff, and visitors
  • Available 24 hours a day/seven days a week
  • A security officer will walk or drive individuals to and/or from cars, classes, residence halls or any other facility on campus
  • A Public Safety Officer will provide help when a vehicle is in need of a battery jump-start, or during inclement weather
  • In the event of a flat tire, disabled vehicle or keys locked in a car, at the request of the owner, Public Safety will contact 5 Points Automotive and Towing at 215-855-3592.

Public Safety offers students a complimentary shuttle service to and from the Gwynedd Valley Train Station, which services the SEPTA R5 line.

  • Shuttle pick-up and drop-off point on campus is the Campbell Hall Circle and or Siemens Parking lot.
  • In order to ride the shuttle, you will need to show your GMercyU ID card.
  • Due to inconsistencies with the weather, traffic or SEPTA changes, please contact the St. Brigid Security Desk at 215-641-5522 to request transportation to and from the train station or Siemens Parking Lot.

*Note: Please allow five to 10 minutes for a security officer to arrive. In the event of a security emergency, the escort and shuttle services may be delayed.

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GMercyU crime statistics - The Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (The Clery Act) requires Gwynedd Mercy University to provide students and employees with information on its security policies and procedures and specific statistics for certain criminal incidents, arrests and disciplinary referrals and to make the information and statistics available to prospective students and employees upon request. 

It is important to note that the crime classifications for which colleges and universities must provide statistics differ under state and federal law. Statistics for certain crime classifications might appear to be different.

The crime statistics reported under the Jeanne Clery Act include the following:

  • Criminal homicide: Murder, Non-negligent manslaughter
  • Sex offenses:  Forcible Rape Sodomy, Sexual assault with an object, Fondling, Non-forcible Incest Statutory rape
  • Robbery
  • Aggravated Assault
  • Burglary
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
  • Arson

Hate Crimes

The law requires the release of statistics by category of prejudice concerning the occurrence of hate crimes in the crime classifications listed in the preceding section and for other crimes involving bodily injury to any person in which the victim is selected because of the actual or perceived race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability of the victim.

In August of 2008, The Higher Education Opportunity Act modified the above hate crimes to include the following additional crimes under the hate crime category:

  • Larceny-Theft: The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession, or constructive possession, of another.
  • Threats: Intimidation (includes stalking) To unlawfully place another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack
  • Vandalism: To willfully or maliciously destroy, damage, deface, or otherwise injure real or personal property without the consent of the owner or the person having custody or control of it
  • Simple Assault: An unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious severe or aggrieved bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, severe laceration, or loss of consciousness

The law requires statistics for an expanded area beyond the campus and it requires these statistics to be shown in specific geographic categories. (Note that incidents shown in the On-Campus Residential category are also included in the statistics shown in the Campus* category.)

The following statistics are provided in compliance with the specific time periods, crime classifications, geographic categories, and arrest data mandated by federal law.

Click here to view the entire 2019 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (PDF).

Definitions of terms found within the Clery Act:

Campus - Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to the institution’s educational purposes, including residence halls or any property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the institution and owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes (such as food or other retail vendor).

Non-campus Building or Property - Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization recognized by the University or University and any building or property (other than a branch campus) owned or controlled by an institution of higher education that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution’s educational purpose, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably continuous geographic area of the institution. Gwynedd Mercy University does not have any Non-campus Buildings or Property as defined.

Public Property - All public property that is within the campus or immediately adjacent to and assessable from the campus, such as a sidewalk, a street, other thoroughfares, or parking facility.

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Pennsylvania College & University Information Act Crime Rates

The Pennsylvania College and University Security Information Act requires the release of crime statistics and rates to students and employees. The rate is based on the actual number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) students and employees which is calculated according to the following state-mandated formula:

  • Number of FTE students (2721) for fall 2017 plus the number of FTE employees (which is the sum of full-time employees plus one half the number of part-time employees or (510). The total  FTE is 3231.
  • The rate is obtained by dividing this figure into 100,000 and multiplying the quotient by the individual statistics to produce the crime rate per 100,000 persons in each category.

Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Report Act- Main Campus (PDF) 2017
Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Report Act- GPS East Norriton (PDF) 2017
Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Report Act- GPS Public Ledger (PDF) 2017
Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Report Act- GPS Bensalem  (PDF) 2017

Note: All other offenses include harassment, harassment by communication, threats, unlawful restraint, loitering, prowling, and trespass.

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Daily crime and fire log

The Office of Public Safety maintains a combined Daily Crime and Fire Log of all incidents reported. This includes all crimes, fire-related incidents, and other serious incidents that occur on campus, including areas jointly patrolled by the Lower Gwynedd Police Department, in non-campus buildings or properties, on public property immediately surrounding the campus.

2017 fire statistics

Resident Hall

Fire

Cause

Injuries/Death

Cost

Drills

Loyola

0

0

0

0

2

St. Brigid

0

0

0

0

2

Siena

0

0

0

0

2

Alexandria

0

0

0

0

2

Treweryn

0

0

0

0

2

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Public Safety and Security Important Numbers

  • Emergency Number: ext. 1111
  • Non-Emergency Number: 215-641-5522, ext. 21522
  • Director of Public Safety and Security: 215-542-5785, ext. 21785
  • Switchboard: ext. 0
  • Director of Counseling Services: 215-641-5571, ext. 21571
  • Counselor: 215-646-7300, ext. 21427
  • Director of Resident Life: 215-641-5585, ext. 21585
  • Associate Director of Resident Life: 215-646-7300, ext. 21460
  • Director of Human Resources: 215-646-7300, ext. 21250
  • Health and Wellness Center: 215-646-7300, ext. 21486
  • Student Services: 215-641-5546, ext. 546; 215-641-5555, ext. 21555
  • Montgomery County Crime Victims Center: 610-277-5200
  • Lower Gwynedd Township Police Department: 215-646-5300
  • Title IX Coordinator:  215-646-7300, ext. 21140

*Please note: you must first dial 9 on campus to obtain an outside line.