Please bookmark this webpage, so that you may receive updates and information in the event of a campus or local emergency. In the event of a crisis requiring immediate action by campus personnel, please contact the Office of Campus Safety by calling 562.907.4911 or 562.907.4211.
Parents and families of enrolled students seeking information during a declared campus emergency should call the Whittier College Emergency Hotline, 562.907.4200, or visit this webpage regularly for updates.
Media should contact the Office of Communications directly, at 562.907.4912 or at mediarelations@whittier.edu.
PLEASE NOTE: In an emergency situation, all calls to the College from media will be routed or re-routed to the Communications staff, who will disseminate updates and advisories, coordinate press conferences and interviews, and photo pools and campus access.
March 19, 2018, 9:55 p.m.
Lockdown has been lifted. Whittier Police Department has completed its search of the area. Suspects have not been located but are not believed to be in the area.
March 19, 2018, 8:23 p.m.
College lockdown in place. Whittier Police Department was responding to a home burglary on Philadelphia St., across from the Campus Safety parking lot. Three suspects at large, one like armed with a handgun. All Whittier PD available officers and Sheriff's Department responding. Stay indoors and do not come onto campus until further notice.
Past Events
February 4, 2018
At 8:52 p.m. it was reported to Campus Safety that an individual was attempting to enter buildings on campus. Whittier Police Department was contacted, the individual was identified as intoxicated and lost. After a brief investigation, Whittier Police Department escorted the individual off-property and there is no threat to the campus community at this time.
January 30, 2018
At 2:00 p.m., an incident occurred at the Haverhill parking lot. Whittier Police Department was called and responded to assist with a hit and run investigation. At 7:00 p.m., Whittier Police Department responded back to campus to take custody of the hit and run suspect. Once again, we remind the community to report any suspicious activity to Campus Safety.
January 22, 2018
At approximately 4:22 p.m., Campus Safety officers came in contact with a trespassing individual on campus property. The individual became combative toward the officers and the Whittier Police Department was called to assist.
At approximately 4:45 p.m., Whittier PD and LA County Fire arrived on campus and took control of the situation. There is no threat to the college community. As a reminder, please contact the Department of Campus Safety at 562.907.4211 to report any suspicious activity on campus. If you See Something, Say Something, Do Something.
December 11, 2017
Community Alert
Whittier College has received multiple reports of stolen laptops from Stauffer Hall within the last week. In each case, the individuals were able to gain access into the rooms through doors left unlocked or propped open. While the Department of Campus Safety implements several strategies to reduce crime activity on campus, we would like to take this opportunity to educate the community and share a few safety tips.
- Keep your residence hall or office door locked at all times.
- Keep track of your belongings.
- Do NOT leave valuables in plain sight.
- Never leave belongings unattended. This includes items left in vehicles and study areas.
- Do NOT prop doors open in residence halls. This includes exterior doors to college buildings.
- Utilize your safety and privacy features on your electronic devices, such as Find My iPhone and other tracking services.
- Do NOT allow unknown people into college buildings.
If your property has been stolen on campus, you should report the crime immediately to the Department of Campus Safety at 562.907.4211 Campus Safety officers will document all reports of thefts and follow up on any potential leads. Please contact the Department of Campus Safety with any other questions, concerns, or for more information.
As always, if you SEE something, SAY something, DO something.
November 27, 2017
At approximately 1:30 p.m., the Whittier Police Department (WPD) notified the Department of Campus Safety that they were searching for an individual who was last seen trying to enter homes on Mar Vista. The individual was described as possibly Hispanic, with tattoos on his neck, wearing a white shirt and brown bottoms. The individual is also believed to be under the influence of a substance, all contact should be avoided.
Whittier PD is currently searching the area for this individual, while Campus Safety Officers are patrolling the campus. More information will be provided as given.
As always, we encourage you to be aware of your surroundings. If you see something, say something, do something. For any questions, please contact Campus Safety at 562.907.4211. If you have information about this individual, contact the Whittier Police Department.
At approximately 2:40 pm, WPD apprehended an individual on Via Del Palma Ave. Their investigation is ongoing. All normal activity can be resumed. If you have any questions, please contact Campus Safety 562.907.4211.
November 17, 2017
Man Arrested for Trespassing
At approximately 9:45 a.m., officers responded to a suspicious person at the Shannon Center parking lot. Officers immediately made contact with an adult male looking into vehicles. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the male had previously trespassed in the past for similar behavior. Campus Safety Officers took him into custody without incident and currently released to WPD for transport.
November 4, 2017
Dear Campus Community,
On Thursday morning paramedics and Whittier Police Department responded to a residence in the vicinity of Philadelphia Street. As a result, emergency response vehicles were parked in the campus vicinity, near Founder’s Hill and Ball Hall. A van from the Los Angeles Coroner’s office subsequently arrived on the scene.
The Department of Campus Safety was able to confirm that the response involved the death of an adult male as a result of natural causes. This incident posed no threat to the College community.
November 1, 2017
At approximately 2:05 p.m., Whittier Police Department was in pursuit of a male Hispanic person wearing a gray shirt, dark colored shorts, and white shoes. The person was last seen running eastbound toward Painter Ave. The subject is not believed to be a threat at this time.
October 26, 2017
At approximately 7:40 p.m. a resident's vehicle parked on Philadelphia Street, across from Dezember House caught on fire, requiring for both Whittier Police Department and LA County Fire to respond. The fire was contained and both agencies departed without incident.
October 22, 2017
Whittier Police Department and Sheriff's helicopter are in the area near campus conducting a search for a suspicious subject in the area. The subject has been contacted and the situation is now under control. No cause for concern.
October 17, 2017
Trespasser was on campus. Whittier Police Department assisted to control the situation. The trespasser was advised to leave and he was cooperative. hHe is now off property.
October 3, 2017
We are sending this message to provide more details about police activity around Penn Park yesterday evening. Just before 9:30 p.m., Whittier Police received a call from a person reporting what sounded like a gunshots in the vicinity of Penn Park. WPD contacted Campus Safety immediately and officers from both WPD and Campus Safety responded to the area.
WPD searched Penn Park and neighboring areas and questioned others at the Park and neighbors in the vicinity, none of whom heard the sounds described. In the meantime, Campus Safety secured the Graham Athletic Center and cleared the athletic fields.
Given that no other potential witnesses affirmed the account and no suspicious activity was witnessed, WPD left the area and advised Campus Safety that normal activity could resume.
While this incident appears not to have posed an actual threat, we continue to urge that if you see something, or hear something suspicious, please call Campus Safety or Whittier Police Department.
February 16, 2017
At around 10:00 a.m., the Department of Campus Safety responded to a report of a potential dating violence incident in the Science & Learning Center. Officers arrived at the scene but were not able to make contact with either party. No further information is available at this time. If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Campus Safety at 562.907.4211 or campussafety@whittier.edu. You may also report information online by filling out a Campus Security Authority Reporting Form.
October 26, 2016
At around 6:30 a.m., a suspicious vehicle was reported in the South Music Lot near the Philadelphia House. The vehicle contains a storage container, as well as camping supplies, has no doors, and appears to have been abandoned on our property. Campus Safety has reached out to the Whittier Poli Department to investigate further.
While at this time we do not believe there is a threat to the community, we ask that you avoid loitering in this parking lot until the vehicle has been removed.
As usual, we ask that you remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings. If you become aware of suspicious activity, please contact the Department of Campus Safety at 562.907.4211. Remember: if you see something, say something.
October 24, 2016
The Whittier College community has recently experienced an increase in burglary and larceny reports. Larcenies are crimes of opportunity and tend to occur when property is left unlocked or unattended. In an attempt to help alleviate this problem, the Department of Campus Safety would like to provide you with a few crime prevention tips:
- Keep the doors and windows to your residence hall and office locked and secured at all times.
- Report any door/window issues to your Resident Advisor or Facilities Services as soon as possible. Similarly, report any missing or stolen keys to the Department of Campus Safety immediately.
- Secure your valuables by keeping them out of sight and locked away when out of use.
- Avoid bringing cash, wallets, watches, or other valuables to the athletic facilities. If you are using a locker, keep it locked and secured whenever unattended. This includes those times when you leave briefly to shower, visit the trainer's office or the equipment room, etc.
- Keep your vehicle locked and the windows rolled up tightly. Never leave your vehicle running when unattended and keep valuables out of sight.
- Do not allow unknown persons to enter a building behind you. If you are expecting a guest, greet them at the exterior door whenever possible.
- If you see a suspicious person or vehicle on campus, contact Campus Safety immediately by calling 562.907.4211. Try to provide as much descriptive information about the suspicious activity as possible.
If you have experienced a burglary or larceny theft on campus, you should report the crime immediately to the Department of Campus Safety at 562.907.4211. Campus Safety officers will document all crime reports and follow up on any potential leads. Please contact the Department of Campus Safety with any other questions, or for more information.
Remember, if you see something, say something, do something. By working together, we can keep our campus safe.
February 15, 2016
At around 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 14, a suspicious individual was reported near Harris Hall. The individual matched the description of a suspect who was possibly armed and first reported a mile south of campus in the City of Whittier. Out of an abundance of caution, Campus Safety made the proactive decision to lock down the campus, including all residence halls and the library. While it’s never our intent to duly alarm students, we decided to err on the side of caution. After an exhaustive search, Whittier Police determined that there was no threat to the campus community and gave an all clear to resume normal activities.
