Community Safety Questions & Answers
Below are responses to questions that were asked before/at the YSM Community Safety Town Halls, as well as questions submitted through the link on this page. The Qs&As are organized by topic.
Lot 47
When will the upgrades and safety measures at Lot 47 begin? What will the changes include? Can we anticipate a paved lot with painted parking lines along with security cameras, a second security guard at the mid to far end of the lot, and keycard access to name a few improvements?
We anticipate lot 47 improvements to begin this summer and last into the fall.
Improvements include:
- Installation of security and safety systems such as lighting, blue phones, and fencing
- Installation of security access control gates
- New security booth
- Removal of existing grading and patches of concrete and asphalt
- Installation of underground utilities and drainage system
- Installation of new sidewalks, new asphalt surface and line stripping
- Landscaping work
Lot 96
Night and weekend access to Lot 96, a gated parking lot, is no longer available. Such access provided a sense of safety for those returning to laboratories after hours to complete the day's work.
Lot 96 is open on nights and weekends, specifically Monday through Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and Friday from 4:00 p.m. to Monday at 3:00 a.m. (e.g., all day Saturday and Sunday). Gates are automatically scheduled by software to raise and lower.
There was a brief time during installation of the new gate control system that the gates did not open at night/on the weekend, but that has been resolved. Yale Parking has been monitoring the gates since the June 1 town hall meeting, and they have gone up and down as scheduled.
However, if you find the gates do not open as scheduled, please contact Yale Parking (432-9790) to alert them.
Amistad
Why is there no security in the Amistad Parking Garage? It feels very unsafe. I think it would make me and many others feel a lot more secure if there was an actual individual who walked and the monitored the garage throughout the day.
The Yale Parking Office has worked with the vendor, LAZ Parking, to extend the hours of operation for a parking attendant at the Amistad Garage from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. (M-F), and 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Sat-Sun and holidays).
Additionally, security personnel are now stationed at the corner of Amistad and Cedar St., outside of the Amistad Garage, during peak arrival (7 – 9 a.m.) and departure times (4 – 6 p.m.).
Can Amistad Garage’s overhead garage doors be closed after hours?
Amistad Garage has two entrances/exits: one on Cedar Street and one on Amistad Street. Starting August 1, the overhead door of the Cedar Street entry/exit will be closed after hours. Parkers with normal access to the Amistad Garage still will be able to use both entrances, but other members of the community looking for after-hours parking will need to use the Amistad entrance after hours.
I park in Amistad and we are required to place the parking sticker on our car window. Is there another way we can show we are allowed to park in this garage? For example, a removable item hanging from our mirror? I feel unsafe with people knowing exactly where I work and park when I am driving around and/or parked somewhere else.
Air Rights
I am very concerned about the poor lighting that is found throughout Air Rights Garage. Stairwells do not have proper lighting and provide easy access to persons from the street at all hours. The nighttime hours are very concerning.
Air Rights Garage is not a Yale Parking garage; it is owned and managed by the New Haven Parking Authority (NHPA). We reached out to the NHPA about this concern. They inspected the garage and reported back the following information:
- NHPA monitors lights within the various levels in the garage and fixes problems on an as needed basis. They currently do not have/see any particular area that indicates dark points, but will conduct additional inspections if we share a specific area of concern. (If you have a concern about lighting in the garage, please submit your specific concern using this link, so that we can follow up with NHPA.)
- All stairwell lights are functional/well-lit as of July 14, when NHPA provided their update on their inspection.
- The dumpster area lights and outside lights by the walkways are out. NHPA will fix this problem in the next couple of weeks, if not sooner. (They have to get some parts, causing the delay.)
- NHPA checked the exit/entrance doors, and found that a person cannot gain access into facility from the outside doors located at stairwells.
Howard Ave Garage
I have observed an extra attendant at Howard Avenue Garage during daytime hours. Could there be a guard there from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., when security concerns are greater and the likelihood of being alone in the garage is considerable?
The parking attendants are located at the Howard Avenue Garage from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. The garage is secured each evening, at 8:00 p.m., at both entrances to the garage. Only those with after-hours parking access can open the overhead door and locked pedestrian access doors after-hours. Additionally, Yale Public Safety patrols this area regularly.
Temple Street Garage
What is being done about the lack of security in the Temple Street Garage, run by the New Haven Parking Authority? There are no security cameras, and only someone who sporadically walks around checking on things. I believe there is a lot of criminal activity in the garage, but no disclosure to people who park there.
Yale’s Parking & Transit Office collaborates with the New Haven Parking Authority (NHPA). The NHPA informed us that in the Temple Street Garage, uniformed officers patrol the area in a roaming vehicle, which has strobe lights, throughout the 24-hours of operation. The NHPA is not aware of recent criminal activity in the garage.
Bodel
There are a few Yale affiliated child care centers next to the school of medicine. Is any camera there in the center or near the center? Could you please arrange regular police next to the child care center?
Yale Security cameras provide coverage of both sites of the Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center: in the Harkness Courtyard and playground, and also the Bodel South playground. The increase in security across the Medical School campus will benefit the child care centers as well.
Chapel-York
I park in the Chapel-York Garage. Every day when I park, there are people already parked and using drugs in their cars (e.g., someone smoking crack in the back seat of their car.) Are there any attendants who make rounds in this garage? It seems to be happening more often. The drugs don't bother me as much as the fact that it could lead to further crime—car theft or robbery.
Should you continue to witness illegal activity, you can notify the LAZ cashier, or Yale Parking directly during business hours (432-9790) and the Parking Office will alert the Yale Police Department (YPD)/Yale Security. You also can call the YPD (432-4400) or Yale Security (785-5555) directly, especially outside of Yale Parking's office hours.
Please note, LAZ keeps a log of incidents, which they share with Yale Parking. There have been no incidents reported in quite some time.
Parking Costs
With the reinstatement of full parking prices, it gives community members little to no other options to travel to work. I planned to start biking to work this year, but I have delayed this option with recent safety concerns. I wonder if parking costs will be reconsidered.
Shuttle
Has the nighttime door-to-door shuttle service that ran from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. been discontinued? I don’t see it on the website anymore and the TapRide app also won’t let me log in with the Yale credentials.
YNHH employees have shuttles that leave from locations in Wallingford, North Haven, Orange, and Guilford and take them directly to the hospital. Does Yale offer something like this?
Yale has an extensive circulation shuttle service, including to the West Campus and VA Hospital, but it does not have a commuter shuttle like YNHH has. However, Yale is conducting a comprehensive parking review this fiscal year and will consider options like a commuter shuttle
Walking Escort
What is the best phone number to call for the walking escort?
Can female students request a female escort in the LiveSafe app? Walking in the dark for any distance with an unknown individual can feel just as vulnerable as walking alone.
What is the coverage area of the escort service?
The coverage area is anywhere within the campus footprint. To help identify what is within the campus footprint, as a rule of thumb, if you can see a Blue Phone in the area, then you are within the campus footprint. You can request the service using the LiveSafe app or by calling: 203-785-5555.
Transit
Multiple universities have subsidized ride-share passes that are active after 5:00 p.m. around the neighborhood of the university for undergraduate and graduate students. The passes have reduced student-related crime incidents and have increased feelings of safety on campus. Could such a safety measure be considered for implementation at Yale?
Yale is not currently planning to offer subsidized ride-share passes. We are focused on ensuring our shuttle and walking escort services provide members of the community with safe and efficient transit options.
I use the Yale Accessibility transit app to get a ride from the Amistad Garage, but there is no way to put in the address for the Cedar Street entrance, which is the accessible entrance. Is there a way to get the garage entrance on Cedar Street added or listed as the main pick up site?
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Yale’s Parking & Transit Office has immediately addressed this issue. Please contact our office with other accessibility issues, as we are committed to addressing these issues promptly.
Security Patrols & Surveillance
Can there be more security/more consistent security particularly at: 47-60 College St, Cedar St, Washington Ave, Howard Avenue, Howard & Gilbert, and Amistad Street and Amistad Garage?
We have doubled the number of YPD officers on the YSM campus, so that we now have three to four during the day, and two in the evening, in addition to Yale security guards.
Additionally, Yale has hired LAZ to staff these locations through August 30, 2023 (with the potential to extend):
- The Amistad parking booth
7 am-7 pm (M-F)
7 am-6 pm (Sat & Sun) through 8/30/23. - Lot 47
7 am-7 pm (M-F)
7 am-6 pm (Sat & Sun), incl. holidays through 8/30/23. - The Howard Avenue Garage (two attendants)
7 am-8 pm, Howard Ave Entry, (seven days a week, incl. holidays)
7 am-7 pm, Congress Ave Entry, (seven days a week, incl. holidays) through 8/30/23.
Can cameras be added near street parking and exterior doors? In the evening, staff often move their cars closer to the building where they work.
Yale has numerous security cameras on the Medical School campus, including a new set of cameras that were added to look over Lots 47 and 96 within the past month.
What is going to happen when extra security/police are not stationed around the Amistad area? The crimes will happen again.
We intend to sustain the level of Yale security and police patrols. We will closely monitor the impact of not having extra LAZ parking attendants in some garages/lots starting in September, and will determine if we need to renew our contract with LAZ.
EXIT Signs
Has Yale done a review and analysis to count and inspect that “EXIT” signs are visible and ample/abundant in all our buildings? This would tremendously help in an active shooter situation.
The Yale Fire Marshall’s Office does an annual walk through of the campus to inspect that there are enough “EXIT” signs and they are visible. In between annual inspections, Yale electricians fix any signs they notice are not illuminated or that are reported are not illuminated. The Fire Marshall’s Office also is involved with renovation projects at the Medical School, to ensure there is proper access to exits/signage. The Fire Marshall’s Office recommends people think about how they would exit from their own office/work/study space, and if they have concerns that there is not good signage, to report it to the Fire Marshall’s Office.
In response, we also want to share Yale’s Active Shooter resources.
Someone repeatedly asks me for money, does not take no for an answer, gets right in my personal space, and follows me, in a borderline threatening way, making me uncomfortable. What should I do?
Response from the Yale Police Department (YPD): The described activity qualifies as “Aggressive Panhandling,” which is illegal (Intimidating and Intrusive behavior). It is strongly recommended that once one can get to a place of safety, they contact YPD so we can investigate unacceptable and illegal behavior. It’s a clear nuisance activity, and chances are our officers will be familiar with this person and can help them get plugged back into their safe course of life before accumulating probable cause for criminal activity, which we will act upon, as needed.
Who investigates crimes on/near campus? Is it a joint effort between Yale police and New Haven police?
The Yale Police Department and the New Haven Police Department collaborate in their policing efforts. Which department is responsible for a particular investigation is case-dependent.
While the increased security and patrolling is appreciated, this seems like a short-term solution. Can you speak to plans for more long term solutions, such as investing in the vibrancy and socioeconomic security of the neighborhoods immediately adjacent to the hospital, and New Haven more broadly.
Many parts of Yale University, including YSM, work with Yale’s Office of New Haven Affairs (ONHA) to develop community partnerships to strengthen New Haven through fostering economic development, revitalizing neighborhoods, supporting public school and youth programs, and creating a vital downtown. This includes Yale’s recent six-year, $135m voluntary payment commitment to the City of New Haven, a pledge that includes establishing a new Center for Inclusive Growth at Yale, focused on creating and implementing economic strategies that benefit all New Haven residents.
Among many other ONHA initiatives are programs that provide educational opportunities such as New Haven Promise (Yale provides up to $5 million per year for city residents who graduate from a New Haven public school and attend college in Connecticut), and the James W.C. Pennington Fellowship for local students, which awards up to $20,000 for tuition and fees per year for four years to attend HBCUs.
Additionally, the University is one of the founding partners of New Haven Works, a jobs pipeline for New Haven residents, and continues to be the initiative’s largest employer.
We will invite a representative from Yale’s ONHA to an upcoming YSM town hall, so that they can speak about and respond to questions regarding this important support.
Why doesn’t 800 Howard Avenue (the Yale Physicians Building) have a security presence? Also, the building doesn’t have an active shooter action plan.
Yale Public Safety has enhanced the security presence at the Yale Physicians Building (800 Howard Ave.), where a guard is now stationed in the lobby and patrols the building perimeter during normal hours of operation. Those hours include 6:30 am – 8 pm (M-F) and 6:30 am – 4 pm (Sat)
Active shooter resources can be found on Yale's website. Yale Medicine is committed to providing active shooter response training in the next few months and YNHHS by year’s end.
Is there a plan to enhance security measures at the Devine Street campus of YNHH that has grown tremendously in clinical volume without concurrent growth in security presence? My understanding is that we have one security guard assigned to cover the four-building campus, and cameras that are not monitored. We have had multiple catalytic converter thefts from our parking area and have had patients enter our clinic areas without clearance from our check-in staff at the entrance to 6 Devine Street.
YNHH has a security officer at 6 Devine Street, but not at 2, 4, or 8 Devine Street. The officer does patrol the parking lot and is visible. We are in close communication with the North Haven Police Department and encourage all employees to contact the police should they require assistance. Please call 911 for any emergency, or 203-239-5321 for routine calls.
When the Devine Street complex was built, the hospital installed cameras which are monitored regularly, as well as a card reader system, to enhance employee and patient safety.
There have been several recent acts of violence in medical facilities across the nation. There have also been multiple recent acts of violence near to Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital. What are the current plans and timeline regarding implementation of metal detectors at the entrances of our medical facilities? What are the plans and timeline for developing and drilling an "Active Shooter Protocol" at the Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital System?
Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) has an in-house security team and works closely with Yale University and the YSM. YNHHS has constituted a workgroup, which YSM is part of, to address safety and security in the patient care settings. The team is currently evaluating options to augment security including the installation of metal detectors in 2024, enhancing access control, and other security measures at select clinical locations.
Active shooter resources can be found on Yale's website. Yale is coordinating with YNHHS on active shooter protocols.
Why don’t all Yale alerts include a brief description of the incident at hand? For example, if a gun is involved that is an important detail to mention, at minimum.
The Yale Police Department (YPD) will continue to refine its emergency communications and messaging. However, when alerts are not detailed, it is usually either because the New Haven Police Department is the investigating agency and YPD does not have more details, or because additional details could harm an ongoing investigation.