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Suspicious Persons on Campus

August 01, 2025
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

To: The Campus Community
From: Hampton Cantrell, Chief of Campus Security and Parking

This summer, Caltech Security has recorded a slight uptick in reports of suspicious persons on campus. Members of the community, and Caltech Security's in-house officers who patrol the campus regularly, have reported the presence of unfamiliar individuals in campus buildings or roaming the campus grounds. In recent years, we have recorded a similar trend in activity during the summer months, when its warmer and the daily traffic on campus tends to fluctuate more than during the school year.

While none of these reports on their own are of significant concern, we did think it prudent to make the campus community aware of the activity and to share best practices for safety. 
As a community, we all share the responsibility of securing property, doors, and reporting suspicious activity. We are asking for your help in making the campus as safe as possible by taking the following prudent steps:

  • Report suspicious activity to Caltech Security immediately.
  • Secure your valuables in locked compartments.
  • Lock your office doors when leaving for any amount of time.
  • Do not leave personal items unattended.
  • Report individuals who "tailgate" or enter secure buildings or restricted areas without keys or the proper credentials by slipping in behind someone else.
  • Do not prop open exterior doors.

Trust your instincts. If something makes you feel uneasy, get out or get away and call Caltech Security immediately. 

Most campus buildings are open to all members of the community during traditional business hours, Monday through Friday. Access to research, academic, and administrative buildings is restricted to keycard access outside of business hours.

If you are on campus and need emergency help, call x5000 or use your Everbridge 360 app. If you are off campus or calling from a cell phone, call (626) 395-5000 or dial 911.

If you would like to discuss non-emergency security-related issues or concerns, including concerns around access control, please email [email protected]. 

Heighten your security awareness and always remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Whether you're at work, at home, or out-and-about, stay alert to and report suspicious activity. Know your surroundings and who or what should or should not be there. If you see something suspicious, report it to Caltech Security immediately. Don't make judgments about what may or may not be a serious situation and don't assume that someone else has called Caltech Security. 

We all have a part to play to keep our community safe. Remember "See something, say something."