The Department of Public Safety is concerned about the safety and welfare of all university communities and visitors. The Department is also committed to providing a safe and secure environment and so security measures are employed to ensure that all persons on campus enjoy their time at the University, as free as possible, from any threat to their safety or well-being.

When Reporting a Crime or Emergency on Campus

It’s the responsibility of the member of the university communities to immediately call the Office of Public Safety. When doing so, you will be required to provide as much detail as possible about the situation including the following:
1. Your name.
2. The nature of the incident you are reporting.
3. When and where the incident occurred.
4. Name of person/s involved (names, age, sex, height, race, hair style/color, complexion, distinctive characteristics, i.e. facial features, scars, physical defects, glasses, clothing, etc.)
5. Direction and method of travel.
6. Vehicle/s involved (color, type, make, model, license plate number, distinctive characteristics, i.e. decal, bumper stickers, damage, number of occupants, etc.)
7. Description of stolen property (item, manufacturer, model number, serial number, value, color, dimensions, etc.)
8. Your location and telephone number where you can be reached.
9. Additional information as requested by the communication operator.
10. You may be required to remain on the telephone until the communication operator is fully brief.

If you become the victim of a crime on campus, report the offense immediately to the Department of Public Safety. Timely reporting of a crime improves the possibility of suspect apprehension and/or recovery of stolen property. The Department of Public Safety will investigate vigorously and expeditiously every report made to the Department. If you are victimized, it is very important that you provide the investigating Officer with as much information about the incident as possible.

Below, the Department provides several crime prevention safety tips which should help make you feel safe:

Personal Safety Begins With Personal Responsibility

1. Do not loan your office keys to anyone who is not an employee.
2. Be familiar with work safety policies and procedures.
3. Make an effort to get to know and recognize your co-workers and be familiar with people that should be in your area. Do not hesitate to question strangers, activity, or behavior that seems unusual or odd.
4. Introduce yourself to Public Safety Officer personnel and know how to reach them.
5. Arrange an office alert signal that you can use to alert other employees in your area that someone is in trouble.
6. Report safety related issues, such as burned out lighting, immediately.
7. Be very cautious about providing personal information, such as your social security number, date of birth, over the phone or social media.
8. Always lock up valuables, such as purses, while you are at work. Desk drawers or filing cabinets may be used for this purpose.
9. If working late, lock your exterior office doors and be cautious about who you let in after hours. Notify the office of Public Safety that you will be working late.
10. If you are leaving late and are concerned about your safety, walk with a co-worker or contact the office of Public Safety for an escort.
11. If you are order to evacuate your work place (building), kindly do so and evacuate to the safety assemble area, remain there until when all clear is given to re-enter the building.

Protect Your Automobile
1. Always lock your car doors.
2. Avoid leaving valuable property such as laptops, cameras, jewelry, cellular phones, etc on the seats where it is easily visible.
3. Try to park only in well lighted and highly visible locations.
4. Lock your doors and roll up all windows.

ATM Security Safety Advice
1. Use ATMs inside busy supermarkets when possible.
2. Avoid ATM machines adjacent to obvious hiding places.
3. If the lights around the ATM are not working, don’t use that machine.
4. Only use ATM machines in well lighted, open, highly trafficked areas.
5. When you approach an ATM, scan the area first for loiterers.
6. Beware of offers for help from strangers during an ATM transaction.
7. Have your card ready and leave quickly. DO NOT count your cash in public.
8. Walk, run, or drive away immediately if your instincts tell you to do so.
9. Don’t argue with a robber, if confronted, and give up the cash.
10. Don’t fight with or attempt to follow the robber.
11. Drive or walk to a safe place and immediately call the police.

Date Rape
If you’re going on a date or meeting up with somebody you don’t know very well, try to:
1. Go out in a group or double date so you can realize or understand the true character or nature of your date.
2. Avoid drinking alcohol when on date.
3. Be aware of what is taking place around you.
4. Trust your instinctive ‘bad feeling’ about a situation. If you are being pressured into unwanted sex, stand for yourself and be assertive.
5. Never accept open drinks from anyone whether or not you know the person, refuse the drink.
6. Be careful when accepting drinks, particularly if the drink tastes or smells ‘funny.’
7. Don’t accept a ride home from someone you have just met.
8. Leave immediately if your date tries to pressure you by saying things like “You would if you loved me …”
9. Refuse to go to an individual’s room/home “just to talk”. Most date rapes happen in the home.
10. Always have a mobile phone (with credit) with you.
11. Pay your own way so he doesn’t get the wrong idea about you ‘owing’ him anything. Always remember – even if he does pay, you never ever owe him sex. You ALWAYS have the right to say NO!
12. If you were drunk at the time of the rape, do not hesitate in reporting the rape. Being drunk is not a crime, rape is.
13. REMEMBER: Most women are raped by someone they know.

If You’re Followed
1. If you suspect you are being followed, go to a well-lighted area; enter a store, house, resident hall, or anywhere there are people. Immediately dial 911 for assistance.
2. Cross the street and change direction.
3. Notice and try to remember as much as possible about the person, so you can give a good description later.

Working together as a unit, we can have an impact in preventing crime and removing opportunities for criminals to commit crime on persons.