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Crime Prevention
Although no community is immune from crime, there is much we can do by working together to minimize its impact. Crime is opportunistic. Serenity pervades the McDaniel College campus. Comparatively, crime rates are low here at the College. These factors can create the sense that the campus is crime free; unfortunately, this is not true. Common sense, alertness, and cooperation are the building blocks of a safe campus. If each of us takes a moment to follow a few simple precautions, we can improve safety and thus the quality of life here at McDaniel.
DoCS will accept confidential reporting of crime but requires any report to be with an understanding College discipline and/or court action may be impossible.
Around and about campus
1. In all cases, be alert to your surroundings. Do not intervene in crimes in progress. Call DoCS at ext. 2202 to report ALL crime and suspicious activity. The old adage "better safe than sorry" is sound advice.
2. Do not walk alone, stay on well lit pathways and away from deserted areas such as the track, the golf course, and Harveystone Park.
3. If you are being followed, change direction, and go to a populated location. Know the locations of these "safe houses" in the campus area.
4. If no help is immediately available, pull a fire alarm box.
5. Do not go to parties with unfamiliar groups alone. Do not leave your friend at a party.
In residence halls or offices
1. Lock your door when you are leaving NO MATTER HOW SHORT THE PERIOD OF TIME!
2. Do not leave notes saying you are out, and how long you will be gone.
3. Do not keep excessive money or valuables in your office or room.
4. Request identification of any unfamiliar person attempting to gain access to your room. If you are still unsure call DoCS at ext. 2202.
5. DO NOT PROP DOORS TO HALLS. This jeopardizes the safety of all and is a serious offense.
Alcohol and Other Drug Policies
Student Policies
Student conduct in this area is governed by the "Proscriptions on Conduct" which prohibit:
"Violations of College alcohol policy, including unauthorized possession of kegs, 'party balls', or other multi-liter containers in residential area, underage possession of alcohol, or possession of alcohol in public areas. (Specifically, the "Alcohol Beverage Policy and Procedures" reiterates the Maryland State Law concerning age of majority, false identification, and prohibited purchase. "…Failure to comply with State, county, or municipal alcohol beverage laws may result in disciplinary action through college judicial programs and or legal action through the appropriate civil authority…")
"...Possession, use, sale, or distribution of controlled substances (drugs) on college property or sale or distribution to members of the college community."
Employee Policies
The McDaniel College Drug Free Workplace Policy governs employee conduct. This policy states:
"McDaniel College intends to maintain a drug free workplace. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance...is prohibited on College property, and is cause for employee discipline, up to and including dismissal from employment..." The policy further states: "...Any person employed by the College found to be unlawfully under the influence of a controlled substance while on College property is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination."
PLEASE NOTE : McDaniel College has adopted a "zero tolerance" drug policy for employees and students. In all drug cases, McDaniel College immediately involves the Westminster City Police who assume control of the matter. Where students are found guilty on campus minimum sanctions will be imposed by the College as described in our "Drug Free Schools" statement issued by the Dean of Students. This statement is contained in the Student Handbook published and distributed by the Division of Student Affairs contains a description of drug and alcohol-abuse programs as required by the Higher Education Act (§ 120 a through 120d).
Sexual Assault Policies
The College supports the right of the victim/survivor of a sexual assault to decide how best to utilize the various College, Westminster community and private resources. The College, the Student Affairs Division, and the Department of Campus Safety will do everything possible to provide the level of support desired by the survivor/victim. A comprehensive sexual assault policy is published by the Wellness Center and is summarized on the Student Affairs website.
If a student is victimized she or he may contact: DoCS where certain officers are specially trained for this type of investigation, the WPD, the Carroll County State's Attorney, Smith House, Residence Life Staff, Sexual Assault Information Team Members, Rape Crisis Intervention Service, or other resources. If a victim/survivor elects to contact a criminal justice agency the preservation of evidence is crucial to a successful prosecution. To assist with these difficult issues, students considering criminal process are urged to contact DoCS and request to speak to an officer immediately. Students who are victim/survivors are entitled to alternate housing and class assignments if possible. Should a victim/survivor elect to take advantage of the College judicial process, a DoCS report will serve to initiate this system. Typical sanctions include: A minimum sanction of suspension for the current semester and one additional semester will be applied for the following offenses:
- Possession or use of a firearm, air pistol, facsimile gun on campus.
- Physical abuse including but not limited to racially motivated conduct and sexual assault.
Sanctions Appropriate to Instances of Student Misconduct
The Office of Residence Life, the Dean of Students office, or DoCS can answer specific questions on the process. The process includes: equal opportunity to present cases, and notification of the outcome for both parties.
Emergency Response & Evacuation Procedures
In the event of an imminent threat to life safety, the College will distribute preliminary information via McDaniel ALERT (available at www.irisdispatch.com/users). This resource will ONLY be used under these conditions. Follow-up information during these emergencies as well as other information about other significant emergencies or dangerous situations on campus may be distributed via McDaniel College’s telephone system voice mail, electronic (email) mail system, posting doors of buildings and the College’s website.
Reports to the Department of Campus Safety of emergencies will be confirmed by the dispatching of an officer to the location to assess the situation. Upon confirmation of an emergency the senior-most uniformed officer on duty will notify the Director of Campus Safety, the on-call administrator from the Student Affairs Division (in rotation these administrators are the Dean of Students, the Associate Dean of Students, and Director of Residence Life), and activate the College’s Critical Incident Management Plan (CIMP). The Director and the on call administrator will determine the segments of the campus community to notify and type of notification to be used, determine the content of the emergency notice, and initiate the notification. The goal is to maximize the safety of our community and we will initiate notice unless it will compromise efforts to assist a victim; or contain respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency.
In the event the entire campus community was not initially notified, they will be notified through campus email. In the event the “larger community” is impacted, DoCS will be in touch with the Westminster Police or Carroll County Office of Public Safety either by phone or two-way radio so that they can use their resources. Other “larger community” members such as parents might get information through the web, emails or McDaniel ALERTs that students may include them in, and local media outlets. In conjunction with the distribution of the Clery Act compliance document the Department of Campus Safety will conduct an announced test the McDaniel ALERT system.
In the event of an evacuation, either partial or full; the Critical Incident Management Team will determine based upon the nature of the emergency and an assessment of the facilities available on campus where to relocate students. This information will be communicated either directly or via the McDaniel ALERT system. Testing of this evacuation process will coincide annually with the distribution of this report, and will include a test of the McDaniel ALERT system, and may include other functional areas such as simulated postings, tests of email follow up information etc.
Fire Safety Information
For purposes of this report, a fire is: “Any instance of open flame or other burning in a place not intended to contain the burning or in an uncontrolled manner”. In the event of a fire the College expects that all campus community members will evacuate by the nearest exit, closing doors and activating the fire alarm system (if one is present) as they leave. Once safely away from the hazard, it is appropriate to contact 911 and then the Department of Campus Safety. In the event fire alarms sound, College policy is that all occupants will evacuate from the building, closing doors as they leave. Community members are directed to assemble safely away from the building’s main entry. Additional instruction will be provided at that time by DoCS staff, if for example, relocation is needed. No training is provided to students or employees in firefighting or suppression activity as this is inherently dangerous and each community member’s only duty is to exit safely and quickly, shutting doors along the exit path as they go to contain the spread of flames and smoke, and to activate the alarm as they exit. At no time should the closing of doors or the activation of the alarm delay the exit from the building.
Each residence facility will have one scheduled drill per year. Additionally, although not counted as a “drill”, each false alarm response in a residence life facility, and its evacuation will be supervised and documented including a check of each room to ensure students have evacuated.
Campus community members are expected to report a fire to the Department of Campus Safety. For purposes of report, a fire is an uncontrolled or unintended burning (even if extinguished at the time of the report to DoCS).
Open flames are prohibited in all campus residence facilities [except where an open flame is needed for temporary mechanical work (ex. plumber’s torch) or is used in the heating system, (ex. furnace or water heater)]. Smoking is prohibited in all campus residence facilities and within fifteen feet of any entrance to a residence facility. Restrictions on portable electrical devices are as follows (appended from the Student Handbook): For fire safety reasons, electrical appliances with open-coil heating elements such as hot plates, hot pots, heat lamps, toaster ovens, coffee makers (unless equipped with an automatic shut off ), skillets, electric woks/frying pans, broilers, hotdog/hamburger cookers, and space heaters may not be used (unless provided by McDaniel College staff for temporary use related to a recognized facilities issue), possessed, or stored anywhere in a residence hall. Halogen lamps, heat lamps, grills, either propane gas or charcoal, are not permitted for use or storage in student rooms and in the case of grills around the residence halls. The following Underwriter Laboratory-approved electric appliances are permitted in student rooms: computers, clocks, typewriters, razors, blankets, radios, portable televisions, stereos, portable hair dryers,
toothbrushes, fans, and lamps. One microfridge unit is supplied by the College for each residence hall room, except in apartments or houses that are equipped with kitchens and full size refrigerators. Personal refrigerators and microwave ovens are not permitted in any residential facilities. Food in student rooms must be stored in such a way to prevent health and sanitation problems from developing. Violation of these policies will result in fines and/or disciplinary action. The College reserves the right to limit the number, size, or pieces of technical equipment used or stored in student rooms, i.e., stereos, televisions, computers, speaker units, etc. The College forbids the tampering, splicing, or altering of the wiring in student rooms for their personal use or to hook up additional equipment. Violation of this policy could result in immediate removal of equipment and automatic termination of the Housing Contract.
Future plans for improvements in the fire safety systems include the installation of a new core computer to upgrade monitoring software and hardware at the location of the proprietary central station (DoCS offices in Winslow Center).
On Campus Student Housing Facility Fires
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Building Name
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Date of Fire
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Time of Fire
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Cause of Fire
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Number of Injuries
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Number of Deaths
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Value of Property Damaged
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PA 201
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2/3/09
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1240
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Cooking
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0
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0
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$0
|
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PA 199
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4/5/09
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2125
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Cooking
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0
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0
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$0
|
|
PA 203
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10/5/09
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1246
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Mechanical
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0
|
0
|
$0
|
You can download the full 2009 Fire Safety Systems and Statistics here. (.xls)
Missing Persons Procedures
McDaniel College has developed the following process for residential students who are reported missing, however any student may participate. Students wishing to participate will be able to provide contact information for a party to be notified in the event they are reported missing into a confidential registry which will be maintained by DoCS and used only for the investigation of the missing student. All students who are minors must have their guardian notified unless the minor student is emancipated. Even if the student declines to name an emergency contact the Westminster Police Department (WPD) will be notified. Enrollment will processed by students responding to an email which will contain a hyperlink to an on-line registration form. If you are not a resident student or missed the email, and would like to register please do so here.
The College expects that students who are missing will be reported directly to the DoCS by telephone (410-857-2202 or ext. 2202). The College will conduct a brief inquiry into the student’s whereabouts. This inquiry will be by telephone and will typically take between thirty and sixty minutes. If the student is not located, the report will be turned over to the Westminster Police Department (WPD) for further action, including notification of the designated contact. Federal law allows for the College to notify the WPD within 24 hours after notification of a missing student, and allows up to another 24 hours for the emergency contact to be notified. Neither the College nor WPD will wait that long, and will attempt to speedily locate the student. If such location requires notification of the emergency contact at any point after either the College or WPD has been made aware a student is missing such action will be appropriate.
Awareness Policies
In keeping with the College's First Principles and the educational mission of the institution, DoCS views education as one of its most important responsibilities. This education is structured in a lecture format, fairs and expositions, campus posters, informal programs, and bulletins concerning a certain crime on campus.
Students are instructed in emergency and security procedures at New Student Orientation. Resident students also get this information reinforced at floor meetings with the Residence Life Staff. Safety tips are provided in the Student Handbook. Sexual assaults are explored as a part of the Orientation program, in the play "Choices," and during the year through programming by various Student Affairs departments and the Rape Crisis Intervention Service.
Commuter students have an opportunity to attend crime prevention events sponsored by DoCS and the College Activities Office. Additionally, resident students are provided with programming co-sponsored by Resident Life and Campus Safety. The frequency of these programs varies based on the requests from students and Resident Asssistants. Employees of the College are instructed in emergency and security procedures at their orientation with the Human Resources Department. Additional emergency procedures are noted in the Employee Handbook and the College telephone directory.
The Department of Campus Safety also provides programming on topics of general or special interest to any group on campus upon request.
In the event of a particular crime or hazardous situation, the community is notified by one or more of the following: the campus mail system, postings, the student newspaper, the College bulletin (The Arch), and other sources such as an electronic bulletin board (cooperatively with Information Services). These messages will also provide strategies and tips for preventing a similar incident from occurring on campus.
For more information on staying safe, please stop by DoCS in the lower level of Winslow to get additional prevention information or attend one of the many crime prevention programs offered throughout the year. These programs cover a variety of topics including: basic strategies of crime prevention, Operation Identification, fire safety, and sexual offenses to name a few.
As a matter of course, the College encourages all students and employees to report crime. Specifically, the Student Handbook refers to contact with the DoCS. Without the help of the College community, a safe learning environment is unattainable. Each member of the campus community has the responsibility to report crime promptly.
DoCS & Other Agencies
The College recognizes that laws and rules are necessary for society to function and supports the enforcement of law by governmental agencies and rules by officials of the College. All persons on the campus are subject to these laws and rules at all times. While the College is private property, and Constitutional protections apply, law enforcement officers may enter the campus to conduct business as needed. All law enforcement agencies are expected to check in with DoCS when on campus. Additionally, DoCS works with WPD to monitor and record student activity that takes place off campus, but which may be actionable by the College ( http://www.mcdaniel.edu/10865.htm http://www.mcdaniel.edu/10887.htm ). Given there are no off campus groups recognized by the College living off campus, monitoring of any such organization is not needed.
DoCS enjoys an especially good relationship with the Westminster Police Department (WPD). The response time of the Police Department to campus averages less than two minutes for emergency calls. Five members of DoCS are special police officers with law enforcement and arrest authority on campus. Seven Campus Safety Officers have no arrest authority beyond that of an ordinary citizen. These Safety Officers may make an arrest in the event a felony is committed in his or her presence. However, as a matter of course, serious crimes are the responsibility of the Westminster Police Department. Safety Officers are expected to render all possible assistance provided such assistance can be given without significantly endangering the officer or others not involved in the crime. Issues of jurisdiction over certain types of criminal matters are governed by a memorandum of understanding between WPD and DoCS.
As noted in the Introduction and the Emergency Policies, WPD is notified of all crime on campus, and is immediately notified of major crimes via the telephone or shared radio communications. The College relies on the telephone to routinely contact the county emergency dispatch center for fire and emergency medical needs, although the County public safety office has the capacity to link DoCS to responding fire or ambulance resources.
Weekly, the Chief of Police in Westminster is provided with a summary of all crime occurring on campus. Frequent meetings between the Chief of Police, (or his designee) and the Director of Campus Safety allow for exchanges of routine information on timely basis. Additionally, special needs are communicated between agencies as they occur. Instances where State Police resources are needed are determined jointly between the Chief of Police and the Director of Campus Safety. Crimes committed at off campus facilities under the control of the College will be disclosed in our statistics if they come to the attention of DoCS.
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