OIA Home
 ISSS Home

 Adjusting
 Admissions
 Pre-Arrival Information
 IELP
 Other ESL Programs
 Life in Portland
   Housing
   Transportation
   Telephones
   Banking
   Libraries
   Things to Do
 Safety
 Student Life
 Taxes
 Links

Resources - Life in Portland - Safety

Personal Safety:

You may have heard that life in the United States is dangerous. Please read the following tips which can help you stay safe:

• Always be aware of your surroundings, and walk like you know where you are. When walking on city streets at night, always try to walk with a friend or a group in a lighted area.
• If you have classes that begin or end after dark, you may call the Women's Union Escort Service (725-5682) to request an escort to walk you to your car or the bus stop.
• If you are on campus and someone is following you or threatens you in any way, step into any campus building, call Security at 725-4404 and report it to the Security Officer. If you are off campus, find a phone, call 911, or go into the closest open business.
• In the U.S., it is illegal for a man to force a woman to have sex with him no matter what the situation. If you are on a date with someone who wants to have sex with you and you do not want to have sex, tell him NO. If he forces you to have sex, it is considered rape. If you have been raped, do not try to deal with it alone. Call the offices below for help.
• You may, at some time during your stay in the U.S., face racial discrimination. Someone may try to hurt or harass you for no other reason than they do not like the way you look. The best way to deal with this is to ignore negative comments and come to ISS for help.

Safety of Personal Possessions:

In order to ensure that nothing is stolen from you, you should follow a few safety tips:

• Always keep your apartment, dorm room, or house door locked.
  
• If you live on the ground floor, never leave your windows open at night or when you are gone. If you live on the ground floor, it is a good idea to open your windows only a few inches and block them with a board so no one can open them further and crawl in.
• If you keep valuables, such as jewelry and cash in your home, make sure they are well hidden.
• Never carry large amounts of cash. Never display cash.
• Keep your passport in a safe place. Carry it with you only when necessary. If your passport is stolen, report the theft to your Embassy in the U.S. and to ISS.
• If you own or use a car, never leave anything valuable in it. If you must, put valuables in the trunk, hide them under a seat, or cover them before you leave your car.
• Avoid parking on dark streets. The best place to park is under a street light or in a staffed parking structure. Make sure the car you are driving is insured!
  

Important Telephone Numbers:

• Campus Security 5-4404 (24 hours)Emergency/5-4407 (24 hours) Non-emergency
• Metro Crisis Intervention Service: (503) 223-6161
• Crisis Hotline Clackamas Co.: (503) 655-7847
• Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Portland (503) 255-7342, Beaverton (503) 643-4503, Milwaukie (503) 659-3336, Gresham (503) 666-6527, Northeast (503) 284-1977
• Rape Crisis Center (503) 640-5311
• Rape Hotline (503) 235-5333
• Bradley-Angle House Crisis Line (503) 281-2442