Annual Security and Fire Safety Report For Calendar Year 2011
Prepared September 2012, CCBC Department of Public Safety
WORKING WITH THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY TO CREATE A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
As partners in campus safety and security, students, faculty, staff, and visitors have shared responsibilities with the Department of Public Safety. While CCBC works continually to ensure a safe learning environment, no college campus is a haven from crime. It’s important that all members of the campus community be security conscious and report all crimes, emergencies and suspicious persons and conditions to the Department of Public Safety offices:
CCBC Public Safety - General number for all campuses: 443.840.1111
CCBC Catonsville Building W- Room 229
CCBC Dundalk Bldg L – Room 145
CCBC Essex Bldg A – Room 110
CONTENTS
Overview
The Department of Public Safety; link to Crime Statistics; Access to College buildings; Authority of Certified Public Safety Officers; Campus Alerts; DPS Services
Reporting A Crime -Phone numbers; web site information; County Police contact information
College Crime Statistics- Explanation of source information for Crime Statistics
Counseling Services- Link to referral information in Baltimore County
Sexual Assault And Sexual Harassment Definition; reporting; judicial process; education; what to do; evidence preservation; getting helpRegistered Sex Offenders Web site information Drug And Alcohol Policy College policy and limitations under state and federal law
Prevention Programs - Referral information for Baltimore County programs
Smoking Policy - Limitations on the use of tobacco
Emergency Response Manual -available by link to the DPS web site
Facility Access- Policies regarding campus access, trespassing and identification
Fire Safety Report-Report of fire safety for a non-residential college
OVERVIEW
The Department of Public Safety works to create and maintain a secure campus climate and to protect personal and college assets. All public safety information required by the Clery Disclosure of Campus Security and Campus Crime Statistics Act, including the tabulation of specific crime data required by the Clery Act, is collected annually (by campus) by the DPS and may be found on the Public Safety website at www.ccbcmd.edu/publicsafety and in Appendix A of this report. This information is collected from incident reports generated by the College Department of Public Safety, Baltimore County Police Department, and the College Office of Judicial Affairs.
The College does not operate any off-campus housing or oversee off-campus organizations that require the involvement or oversight of the DPS. Therefore, the College report of crime activity does not include any information regarding crimes that occur off campus, unless the crime occurs on property immediately adjacent to a College campus or extension center. During business hours, the College is open to students, parents, employees, contractors, guests and invitees. Classrooms are generally locked, but may be opened by faculty and staff via issued keys, or through a phone call to DPS at 443.840.1111. Employees do not have exterior door keys that
allow access to buildings outside business hours.
The Department of Public Safety is staffed by full and part-time uniformed Public Safety Officers 24 hours a day. Each full-time Public Safety officer is commissioned by the State of Maryland as a Special Police Officer and has full police powers (including powers of arrest) through the statutory and common law of Maryland. The officers patrol CCBC campuses in marked cars, on bicycles, Segways and on foot. Officers investigate and report all crimes and incidents that come to their attention. CCBC’s Public Safety staff also works closely with the Baltimore County Police Department and will ask for its assistance when needed or when requested by a victim of a crime. The DPS and Baltimore County Police Department work cooperatively under a Memorandum of Understanding that specifies roles and responsibilities for both agencies.
The College provides timely security alerts to the College community regarding offenses or incidents that are reported to and confirmed by campus Public Safety offices, College administrators or local police, and which may represent a threat to students and employees. The Department of Public Safety uses Campus Alert, an electronic messaging service that broadcasts messages via email, voice mail, and text messaging. Students, faculty and staff are strongly urged to sign up for Campus Alert at www.ccbcmd.edu/campu¬salert. The College also uses a siren and P.A. system on each campus to alert students and employees of critical incidents that are in-progress, as well as the ‘Blaser’ computer-based warning system that sends alert information to every campus-based computer. Though other offices of the College may broadcast an actual warning, all warnings are scripted and authorized by the DPS. The only reasons that the DPS might not immediately issue an emergency notification for a confirmed emergency is if doing so will compromise efforts to assist a victim, contain the emergency, or mitigate the emergency.
During an actual emergency, the Department of Public Safety may require that students, faculty and staff shelter-in-place, evacuate or take other precautionary measures. Emergency warning information provided to the College community may be published College-wide, by campus or locale based on the nature and extent of the emergency. CCBC follows the practices published by FEMA and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and will commence its Emergency Operations Center and Incident Comment System upon the onset of an emergency.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE MANUAL
Download the complete CCBC Emergency Response Manual at: http://www.ccbcmd.edu/publicsafety.
CCBC’s Emergency Response Manual has been designed by emergency response personnel who have been trained to respond to a variety of emergency situations. All students, faculty, staff, and administrators are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the manual’s helpful safety guidelines, procedures, and tips.
CCBC’s Emergency Response Manual includes information about incident response teams, the incident command structure, response to different types of emergencies, shelter-in-place and evacuation guidelines and the designated responsibilities of each member of the incident response team. The College conducts training of its team members and conducts annual exercises that test the members’ areas of responsibility.
During an emergency, the College community (or campus or building) may be instructed to shelter-in-place. If the building you are in is not damaged, stay inside, seek refuge in an interior room, and remain there until you are told it is safe to come out.
• Shut and lock all windows
• Close exterior doors
• Turn off heaters, air conditioners and air handlers
• Keep track of others who are sheltering with you
• Use a radio, TV or other device for further instructions
If the building is damaged, take personal belongings and follow the evacuation procedures for your building (avoid the elevator, take the stairs and proceed to the nearest exit). Follow the directions of DPS officers and other first responders who are on the scene.
Every two weeks, the College’s emergency communications systems are tested on each campus, and reports are forwarded to the Director of Public Safety. During the onset of a confirmed emergency that threatens the health and safety of the College community, the DPS will, in concert with the Vice President of Administration and Finance and College Communications, issue the electronic alerts that are appropriate for the emergency, location and constituent group.
PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES
The Department of Public Safety provides security services at off-campus facilities owned or controlled by the college. An administrative staff of full-time employees assists the Department of Public Safety by providing administrative, clerical, and records-keeping work.
Among the many services provided by the Department of Public Safety are:
• 24-hour-a-day staff coverage
• Rapid response to medical emergencies
• Assistance with minor car problems
• Enforcement of campus parking regulations
• Lost and found services
• Campus patrol by vehicle, Segway or on foot
• Investigation of all crimes and incidents
• Personal escorts on campus
DPS also conducts security surveys of buildings, walkways, parking lots and common-space areas to determine the need for security modifications and/or improvements. All survey information is shared with the Director of Plant Operations on a regular basis. DPS
officers also routinely inspect College facilities as part of their patrol duties and report defects to Plant Operations.
Campus crime prevention programs:
• Rape, Aggression, Defense system training (RAD) - Awareness, prevention and risk avoidance with hands-on defensive training
• Bike patrol program
• Published articles in college periodicals and social media
• Lecture series
• Crime awareness literature
• Emergency call box system in parking lots and other campus areas
Additionally, all new employees are trained during the New Employee Orientation process in the many aspects of crime prevention and reporting, as it relates to personal safety and successful avoidance of dangerous or threatening situations.
REPORTING A CRIME
All crimes or emergencies should be reported directly to the Department of Public Safety by calling 443.840.1111. Life threatening occurrences, such as a heart attack, stroke, aggravated assault or other serious event may also be reported to the Baltimore County Police by calling 911. Students and others may also report crimes at any of the campus DPS offices, or by contacting an on-duty Public Safety officer.
Victims or witnesses may report a crime on a voluntary, confidential basis for inclusion in the Annual Security Report by going to www.ccbcmd.edu/publicsafety and clicking on the Silent Witness link.
The Department of Public Safety will investigate and document all crimes in accordance with College policy.
It is important to report an incident immediately. Any victim of a crime including, but not limited to, sexual assault should report the incident to any of the following:
1. Department of Public Safety:
CCBC Public Safety Emergency Line – 443.840.1111 (Connects to all campuses) or:
2. Baltimore County Police Department and EMS: 911
3. Any college administrator or faculty member
COLLEGE CRIME STATISTICS
This report contains categories of crime statistics for each campus and extension center, which have been reported to the Department of Public Safety, Baltimore County Police and the College Office of Judicial Affairs. The report includes statistics for the past three years and includes combined statistics for on-campus, off-campus and public property adjacent to each College property.
This report is distributed to current students and employees by paper copy (by request at 443-840-4455), College web site (www.ccbcmd.edu/publicsafety) and student and employee media outlets.
College Crime Statistics for the past three years are available in Appendix A.
COUNSELING SERVICES
CCBC’s Clinical Counseling services on each campus are available to provide confidential counseling services to students who are victims of crime and who request assistance via a link on the College web site (www.ccbcmd.edu/counseling). When appropriate, professional counselors may inform the persons they are counseling of the College procedure to report crimes on a voluntary, confidential basis for inclusion in the annual disclosure of crime statistics.
SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY
The Board of Trustees of The Community College of Baltimore County is committed to providing an academic learning and working environment that is free from sexual assault and harassment, and shall take preventive measures to help ensure that faculty, staff, students and visitors are appropriately protected from such actions. This safe environment includes all campus locations and all off-campus, college-related activities and sites.
The commission of a sexual assault is a violation of college policy and criminal law. Sexual assault is broadly defined as being any unwanted attempted or actual sexual activity, including forcible and non-forcible sexual offenses. A forcible sexual offense is any sexual act directed against another person, including unwanted touching, that is against that person’s will or which involves the use of force or violence or the threat of force or violence, or a sexual act against a person incapable of giving consent. Forcible sexual offenses include rape, sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and all forms of non-consensual touching, such as fondling. Non-forcible sexual offenses are acts of unlawful sexual activity against persons incapable of giving consent, such as statutory rape. Acts which are commonly expressive of familiar or friendly affection and accepted medical purposes are not included.
Sexual harassment is a form of sexual discrimination that is prohibited by federal and state law. It is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other physical or verbal conduct of a sexual nature, including, but not limited to, the following circumstances:
1. When submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or a part of the educational process; or
2. When submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting such an individual; or
3. When such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or educational environment. Examples of conduct which violate this policy include, but are not limited to, intentional physical conduct which is sexual in nature; unwanted sexual advances, propositions, or other sexual comments; preferential treatment, or the promise of such, for submitting to sexual conduct; displaying pictures, objects, or materials which are sexually offensive; physical assault of a sexual nature or attempts to commit such an assault; and retaliation for making a sexual harassment complaint or participating in a sexual harassment investigation.
Persons found guilty of sexual assault or sexual harassment will be disciplined in accordance with the College’s disciplinary policies, which may include expulsion from the College or termination of employment. These sanctions will be in addition to criminal or civil penalties imposed by federal or state courts. Any person found guilty of filing a false accusation of sexual harassment will be subject to appropriate disciplinary and/or criminal action as well.
The College will, upon written request, disclose to the victim of a crime of violence, or a non-forcible sex offense, the results of any disciplinary hearing conducted by the College against the student who is the alleged perpetrator of the crime or offense. If the victim is deceased as a result of the crime or violence, the College will provide the results of the disciplinary hearing to the victim’s next of kin, if so requested.
The Community College of Baltimore County, in a joint endeavor with DPS, Office of Judicial Affairs and the School of Justice, will develop an educational and informational campaign to assist with the prevention of sexual assaults and sexual harassment. Rape Aggression Defense System (RAD) training is planned for the fall semester of each school year. Printed information relating to personal safety, crime prevention, sexual assault and counseling services is available in each DPS office and in Student Life offices.
The Department of Public Safety and Baltimore County Police Department will investigate all complaints of sexual assault and sexual harassment, adjudicating them in accordance with the College’s disciplinary and appeal procedures as well as through the criminal court process.
In addition, each campus Department of Public Safety office will routinely assess the safety of the campus environment and will take corrective action to remediate any identified potential problem areas. If a serious crime occurs, the Department of Public safety will issue timely warnings or notification to the College community through Campus Alert, the campus emergency broadcast system and the Blaser computer notification network. Statistics on sexual offenses and other crimes defined by the Clery Act are available to students online and in print under procedures developed in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
What to do if you are sexually assaulted
• Get to a place where you will be safe from further attack.
• For your own protection, call the police immediately at 911, especially if the assailant is still nearby. The police will help you whether or not you choose to prosecute the assailant. Call DPS at 443.840.1111 for immediate assistance.
• Call a friend or family member for support.
• Get medical attention immediately. The primary purpose of a medical examination following a rape is to check for
physical injury, the presence of sexually transmitted diseases, or pregnancy as a result of the rape. The secondary purpose of a medical examination is to aid in the police investigation and legal proceedings.
• It is up to you, but reporting a rape isn’t the same thing as prosecuting a rape. Prosecution can be determined later.
Department of Public Safety personnel are willing and able to assist victims in reporting assaults to the Baltimore
County Police.
Take proactive steps to preserve valuable evidence:
• Don’t bathe or douche. Bathing or douching might be the first thing you want to do. You might literally be washing away valuable evidence. Wait until you have an examination and meet with a police investigator.
• Save your clothing. It is all right to change clothes, but save what you were wearing. Your clothing could be used as evidence for prosecution. Gently place each item of clothing in a separate paper bag for police.
Get help
• If you are a victim of a sexual assault and decide not to notify the police, please secure medical attention and contact any of the victim support resources listed below. The College will also assist you with contacting any of these support agencies.
• Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Center (SADVC): 410.828.6390
• Eastern Family Resource Center: 410.887.0400
• Turn Around, 410.377.8111
• Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 1.800.983.7273
The College will assist the victim, at his or her request, in contacting the appropriate law enforcement authorities to file criminal charges. The College will also provide assistance in assessing the appropriate medical needs of the victim, including transportation to a hospital equipped with a Maryland State Police sexual assault evidence collection kit (Franklin Square Hospital or Greater Baltimore Medical Center).
The College will work with victims of alleged sexual assault to change the victim’s academic schedule after a reported sex offense, if requested by the victim and reasonably available.
The College may also investigate sexual assault complaints and adjudicate them in accordance with College disciplinary procedures. Both the victim and the accused will be allowed to have witnesses present during the hearing process and will be notified of the outcome of the College’s disciplinary process, and both the accuser and the accused will be informed of the outcome of any institutional disciplinary proceeding that is brought alleging a sexual offense. The College is committed to the confidentiality of victim information, protection against reprisal, and providing due process to those accused of violations. The College will provide other services as appropriate or feasible, including alternative class scheduling and psychological support.
An educational and informational campaign to assist with the prevention of sexual assaults will be readily available to students, faculty and staff. The educational programs are provided through various formats (films, lectures, workshops, etc.), which address the issues germane to sexual assault and its prevention, including acquaintance rape, rape, spousal and co-habitant abuse and self-defense.
In addition, there are free pamphlets available on acquaintance rape, rape, sexual assault and spousal abuse in the Student Life and Counseling areas of the college.
REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS
The Maryland Sex Offender Registry is available online at www.dpscs.state.md.us/sorSearch. A search may be conducted by name, zip code, or by employment or enrollment at Maryland institutions of higher learning. This policy complies with the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY
The College subscribes to and enforces both the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug Free School and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. The possession, sale, manufacture, or distribution of any controlled substance is illegal under both state and federal laws. A copy of the College policy statement is available from the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services, the Office of College Life or the Department of Public Safety. Irresponsible or illegal use or distribution of alcohol will be subject to penalties as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. It is unlawful to sell, furnish or provide alcohol to a person under 21 years of age.
The possession of alcohol by anyone under 21 years of age is illegal.
The service, sale and consumption of alcohol at recognized social events shall be permitted, subject to review and approval of College officials appointed by the President. Distribution of alcohol shall be limited to beer and white wine. Guidelines for authorizing the use of alcohol should reflect adherence to the law, the prohibition of expending college funds, including student registration fees, for the purchase of alcohol.
Students, faculty or staff who violate the substance abuse policy may be required to participate in drug and/or alcohol education programs and are subject to disciplinary actions up to, and including, suspension, dismissal and/or criminal prosecution under local, state or Federal law. The College does not offer drug and alcohol counseling in-house, but is ready to assist students, faculty and staff with service referrals to the many private and public agencies available in the Baltimore metro area. Members of the College community may obtain referral information by calling Student Life at 443-840-3823 or by going to www.ccbcmd.edu/counseling.
SMOKING POLICY
CCBC promotes a healthy learning and work environment. Students, employees, and visitors are prohibited from using any tobacco products, including smoking or chewing, within 8 meters (25 feet) of all building entrances, windows that may be opened and air intakes. Smoking is only permitted at CCBC in designated smoking areas where appropriate disposal containers are available for used tobacco products. Students who use tobacco products are encouraged to seek out smoking cessation programs, which may be offered at CCBC.
PREVENTION PROGRAMS
The College works very closely with the Baltimore County Government to provide counseling and prevention programs. Since some programs are affiliated with but not sponsored by the County government, and operate independently, the most current and up-to-date list of agencies and contact information is available at www.ccbcmd.edu/counseling.
ACCESS TO COLLEGE FACILITIES
CCBC is an open college that welcomes faculty, staff, students and citizens to use the facilities available on campus. Faculty, staff and students are issued identification cards through the campus Registrar’s office. Anyone present on campus is required to show proper identification when requested by a Public Safety Officer or by authorized personnel of the campus.
Visitors are welcome on campus when conducting business or using the facilities in accordance with college policy.
All buildings are locked and secured by Public Safety Officers in accordance with scheduled activities in the buildings.
No unauthorized persons are permitted in the buildings during non-operational hours. Public Safety Officers vigorously enforces trespass laws.
FIRE SAFETY REPORT
The Community College of Baltimore County is a non-residential College with no on-campus student housing. Therefore, the College does not maintain a log of fires as defined by the Health Education Act (HEA).
