Community Safety and Security

Be scam savvy; know the signs. On our 'Advice on avoiding scams' page, we share the main things to look out for, plus the types of scam you may come across as a student.

If you've been scammed, we're here for you. You will not lose your University place or get into trouble for falling victim to a scam.

It's easy to get the support you need at our Community Safety Hub. 

A central location where all students can get advice, practical help, and information, the Hub is easy to access in the North Lodge, at the top of the Green Heart.

What’s available at the Hub?

• A safe, confidential environment to discuss issues you may be experiencing
• Guidance and advice on support services that can help, at the University and externally
• Free D-locks, bike registration and property-marking for all students
• Free personal attack alarms, contactless card defenders, and more

The Hub is home to your Community Safety and Campus Police teams, made up of two police community support officers, one full-time police constable, a safety operations manager, safety manager, and five safety officers.

Visiting the Hub

The Hub is open between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Please drop in to talk to one of the team, get crime prevention advice, or arrange your bike registration/free D-lock.

If want to talk about a difficult or sensitive issue, there are a number of private rooms within the Hub. Just ask a member of the team on arrival or call them on 0121 414 2613.

Everyone is welcome at Birmingham, and our teams work round the clock to ensure that we can maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all. We can only do this with your help though. 

Know the signs of antisocial behaviour; hate crime; extremism; sexual harrassment; and sexual assualt – plus who to contact if you witness these, or have experienced them yourself. Get started by reading our dedicated webpage today.

Crime prevention is a vital part of our work: we’d much rather prevent a crime than respond to one. That’s why we offer lots of services to help you stay safe, from securing your bike and home to guidance for when you’re out and about.

We want everyone’s experience here at University of Birmingham to be a positive one. Please help us make this a reality by reporting anything that you see that isn’t right.

To find out more about crime prevention on campus, visit the Community Safety team at the Community Safety Hub between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. You can also email them at communitysafetyteam@contacts.bham.ac.uk  

Keeping your valuables safe

Postgraduate student Ross shares her top tips for keeping safe on campus and beyond – plus what numbers to call in the event of a crime, just in case.  

New to the UK? We share our top tips on navigating student life in Brum, plus what to expect when it comes to looking after yourself. Visit our 'Studying and living safely in the UK' page for more information.

Get your bike property marked for free at the Community Safety Hub, where you can also pick up a D-lock without spending a penny. For more information, please visit our 'Bike safety' webpage.

Report your lost item to Security or drop any items you've found to the Security office. We’ll then log items on our database, keep them secure, and do our best to reunite them with their owners as soon as possible. 

We’ll donate any lost property to Acorns Children’s Hospice if left unclaimed after six weeks. Items containing confidential or personal information will be destroyed or handed to West Midlands Police.

There are plenty of free and confidential services you can get in touch with on campus and beyond:

• UK Anti-Terrorism Hotline – if you’ve seen or heard something that could be terrorist activity, call 0800 789 321 (textphone 0800 032 4539 for those with hearing difficulties)
• Crimestoppers – if you’d like to report information about a crime, no matter how old, you can contact 0800 555 111. All calls are anonymous and you don’t have to give your name.
• The NHS website – tips on wellbeing, healthy living and more, plus who to contact if you need medical advice or help. Alternatively, give 101 a call for 24/7 health advice.
• Student Support at the University – a range of services that can support you with everything from navigating student life to living well during your time with us
• Guild Advice – a service run by the Guild’s education and welfare advisors who can offer you practical advice on housing, wellbeing, international support, and more
• Birmingham Nightline – a listening and advice service run by students, for students. Non-advisory and non-judgemental, Nightline’s ideal if you want someone to talk to.