Campus Safety

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POLICY
The college Public Safety department has two primary areas of responsibility: security and personal safety activities. The following is a brief outline of both areas of responsibility.

Public Safety shall place emphasis on maintaining security of parking lots and their contents by regular foot patrol or in security vehicles; enforce parking and traffic regulations; issue parking tickets to violators of college parking regulations and on special situations; issue justice of the peace citations; direct students, visitors, and motorists to buildings on campus and special activities; provide security of institutional buildings, grounds and warehouses to prevent acts of theft, vandalism, and arson; administer first aid to students, staff, and the general public; report hazards that may endanger public safety.

Campus Safety involves investigating prowls, thefts, burglaries and suspicious circumstances; maintaining liaison with other campus safety offices and police departments; informing the administration of trends relating to crimes on college campuses; maintaining records on all properties reported as stolen and pertinent information transmitted to the property officer and other state agencies.

It is the responsibility of Public Safety to maintain a spirit of comradery with college personnel, and local law enforcement officers, and support and comply with policies and procedures implied and/or written by the college's administration and to maintain law and order and to enforce college rules and the laws of the State of Utah.
REFERENCES
Reserved
DEFINITIONS
Reserved
PROCEDURE
1. Authorization for Public Safety Operations
  1. As authorized under state law (Utah Code Ann. § 53-45-4) the governing board of the college may establish and maintain a Public Safety department.
  2. All department activities shall be conducted in accordance with state laws and college policies, and with the full knowledge of the vice president for Finance and Administration and/or the president or the president's designee.
  3. Activities shall be limited to college property and/or property under its control except when requested to assist outside agencies, or when an officer observes a crime, or there is the possibility of physical harm or life is endangered
2. Peace Officer Training
  Peace officer training, required for campus safety officers under the Peace Officer's Training Act, may be sponsored by the college
3. Uniforms and Firearms
  1. Campus safety officers shall be uniformed except for the executive director of Public Safety who may wear street clothes when involved in administrative matters.
  2. Only those officers who have had peace officer training will be permitted to carry firearms on duty.
4. Areas Of Responsibility
  1. Marked Vehicles
    Campus safety officers will function from appropriately marked vehicles as specified by the vice president for Finance and Administration.
  2. Investigation of College Personnel
    Arrests
    
    When a campus safety officer has probable cause to believe a crime has been committed in his/her presence, he/she will proceed as follows:
    1. stop the crime;
    2. arrests or detain;
    3. investigate further;
    4. report to the appropriate prosecuting attorney (city or county); and
    5. inform the vice president for Finance and Administration and/or the president
  3. Investigation of Potential Crimes
    1. Investigation of college personnel by a campus safety officer will be initiated only upon awareness and/or direct observation of a violation of the law.
    2. Other requests for investigation may be directed to the president, vice president and/or vice president for Finance and Administration. The president or designee, vice president for Finance and Administration, and the appropriate administrator shall be notified immediately of the pending investigation.
  4. Release of Criminal Histories
    1. Investigation by a campus safety officer will be initiated only or upon awareness and/or direct observation of a violation of the law or at the request of the vice president for Finance and Administration.
    2. The vice president for Finance and Administration shall be notified of the investigation.
  5. Warrants
    1. Criminal histories of student, faculty and staff maintained by Public Safety for violation of college rules and regulations or the laws of Utah may be released to authorized persons in accordance with college policies, laws of the state, (Utah Code Ann. §§ 77-59-9 and 77-59-14), the Freedom of Information Act, and the Privacy Act.
    2. Final determination to release such information will be made by the vice president for Finance and Administration or the president or designee.
  6. Emergency Shutdown of Facility
    Public Safety shall have emergency authority to prevent the use of facilities or equipment where life safety dangers exist until administrative action is implemented and the danger no longer exists.
  7. Security Operations
    1. Monitor Security and Fire Alarm Systems
      Public Safety will operate and assure the efficient function of the electronic security and fire alarm systems of the college.
    2. Monitor Mechanical and Electrical Systems
      A check system for all mechanical and electrical security and alarm systems will be maintained after regular college hours, and malfunctions reported to the maintenance and engineering departments as well as the associate vice president of Facilities.
    3. Patrol
      Public Safety will provide patrol on a scheduled basis for all college buildings, parking lots, and other college property.
    4. Keying System
      Public Safety will manage and maintain a master keying system and key records for all college property.
  8. Traffic and Parking Regulation Enforcement
    1. Parking and Traffic Regulations
      The executive director of Public Safety will recommend changes in parking and traffic regulation to the associate vice president of Facilities, parking committee, and the College administrative council.
    2. Printing of Pamphlets and Decals
      The executive director of Public Safety will be responsible for printing and distribution of approved traffic and parking regulation pamphlets and parking decals.
    3. Monitoring and Enforcement of Traffic and Parking Regulations
      Public Safety will be responsible for monitoring approved traffic and parking regulations with full enforcement authority. Traffic and parking violation records will be maintained.
    4. Appeal Process
      The appeal process will be through the justice of the peace.
    5. Parking Exception
      Certain approved exceptions to the parking regulations may be granted in order to maintain good public relations with the college community and general public. These guidelines are outlined in a separate document parking exception guidelines.
  9. Reporting
    1. Reporting Violations of College Policy
      Violations of college safety and security policies will be reported to the appropriate administrator and/or the associate vice president of Facilities, and/or the president or the president's designee.
    2. Reporting Criminal Details to a Prosecutor
      The campus safety officer is bound by law to give a prosecutor all the facts. The executive director of Public Safety will notify the appropriate college administrator of his findings only with the specific approval of the college vice president for Finance and Administration and or the president or the president's designee, and only when such notification does not jeopardized the case.
    3. Reporting Crimes to the Utah State Bureau of Criminal Identification
      The Public Safety officer shall provide only, as required by law, a monthly statistical report of crimes to the Utah State Bureau of Criminal Identification (Utah Code Ann. §§ 77-59-9 and 77-59-14).
    4. Reporting Accidents and Injuries
      A record of ALL visitor, employee and student accidents shall be maintained by the Public Safety department. Accidents which have caused injury will be investigated and reported to the vice president for Finance and Administration.
    5. Reporting Loss of Property
      A record of loss of college property shall be maintained and immediately coordinated with the college inventory officer and the associate vice president of Facilities.

Date of last cabinet review: November 1, 1982

The originator of this policy & procedure is the executive director of Public Safety. Questions regarding this policy may be directed to the originator by calling 801-957-4571

SLCC Policies and Procedures

Campus Safety