Community Participation		Self-Protection
Property Protection			General
	Bicycles		In Elevators
	Motor Vehicles		Walking
	Offices & Laboratories	Sexual Assault Programs
	Operation Identification
See also:
Campus Evacuation Plan
Silent Witness Program
Campus Emergency Procedures (pdf)

Davidson College Department of Public Safety & Police shares in a joint police dispatch service with surrounding towns; North Mecklenburg Communications Center provides dispatch services to the nearly 60,000 residents of North Mecklenburg. When calling police communications please provide the following information:

your name
location of incident you are reporting
a description of the scene and suspects
a description of any vehicles involved in the incident, especially a license plate number

911 Campus Emergency
Dial this number for any emergency situation, i.e., fire, medical, police, or any time an immediate response is needed, i.e., fire, injury, crime in progress, etc.

 894-2178 Public Safety & Police Business Line
Dial this number for routine business, escorts, jump-starts, locked out of vehicle or room, report missing property, etc., or any time you need to speak with a police officer.  

609-0344 Officer Duty Phone
Dial this number to speak directly to a Campus Police Officer.

Community Participation

Community participation and involvement are essential to crime prevention on campus. Disinterest and complacency are the prime contributors to the success of crime. Since officers cannot be everywhere at once, the burden of crime prevention also rests upon each member of the Davidson College community. When individuals do their part by recognizing and reporting incidents of suspicious or criminal activity, they greatly improve the effectiveness of Campus Police. Please:

Be aware of vulnerability, and follow the suggestions outlined below to protect life and property.

Be alert for suspicious or criminal activity and conditions that may represent a hazard to the community.

Get involved by becoming more security conscious and by reporting all incidents of suspicious or criminal activity, no matter how insignificant, to Campus Police immediately. Unreported crimes cannot be solved and may allow the perpetrators to commit additional and perhaps more serious crimes. Solving a crime depends upon how accurately and promptly the incident is reported. It is important that you be able to provide as much of the following information as possible:

the nature of the incident; when the incident occurred;
where the incident occurred;
persons involved (names, sex, race, age, height, hair style/color complexion, distinctive characteristics such as facial features, scars, physical defects, glasses, clothing, etc.);
description of stolen property (item, manufacturer, model number, serial number, value, color, dimensions, etc.);
any other applicable information.

Property Protection
More than 80% of the crimes committed on the Davidson College campus are larcenies. Larcenies are crimes of opportunity and occur primarily when property is left in unlocked or in unattended areas. To alleviate this problem, the Campus Police make the following suggestions:

Bicycles
Invest in a good U-Bar bicycle lock. Locks are available in the college bookstore and are sold at cost.
Always lock a bicycle. Bicycles should be locked around the frames to an object such as a telephone pole, sign or lamp post, bicycle rack, etc.
Whenever possible, keep bicycles in a well-lit, heavily traveled location.
Register your bicycle with the Campus Police Department. Registration is free and it is an excellent way to further secure your property against theft.

Motor Vehicles
Report all suspicious persons or vehicles seen around parking areas to Campus Police immediately.
Keep your vehicle locked and the windows rolled up tightly.
Never leave your vehicle running when unattended.
When parking, choose a well-lit, heavily traveled area.
Lock packages, luggage, and other valuables in the trunk.
Stereos and C.B. radios should be mounted either out of sight or with slide-out brackets. These brackets will permit the removal of the unit for carrying. Or place it in the trunk when the vehicle is unattended. C.B. radio antennas should be magnetic or detachable, and should be stored in the trunk or taken with you.
Stereos, C.B. radios, and other auto accessories should be marked with a driver license number and registered under Operation Identification.
Consider having your vehicle's ignition, doors, and trunk keyed differently.
Keep spare keys in your wallet or purse, not inside the vehicle where a thief can easily find them.
Consider the installation of anti-theft devices such as alarm systems, hidden ignition or fuel "kill" switches, steering column ignition switch protectors, steering wheel to brake pedal bar locks, tapered door lock buttons, and blocks on the hoods and accessory items, such as gas caps, mag wheels, spare tires, etc.
Keep a record of your vehicle identification number (VIN), registration plate number, and title certificate number in a separate location.
Register your vehicle with the Campus Police.

Offices & Laboratories
Keep all offices and laboratories locked when not in use.
Make sure that all locking devices are in proper working order.
Utilize a key control system. All department keys should be signed out and collected when not in use. Keys should be issued only when absolutely necessary.
Do not label keys with their use. Use a code system instead.
Keep desks, cabinets, etc., locked when not in use.
Typewriters and other portable office machines should be bolted or locked down. Smaller items, such as calculators, tape recorders, etc., should be kept locked up when not in use.
Avoid bringing valuable personal property into unsecured areas.
Petty cash should be kept to a minimum.
Women should keep their pocketbooks locked up, and men should not hang up coats or jackets with wallets or other valuables in the pockets.
Before leaving, check to make sure that no one is hiding and that the area is properly secure.
Watch out for your neighbors. If someone forgets to secure an area or property, keep an eye on it.
Report all suspicious persons or improperly secured areas to Campus Police immediately.

Operation Identification
Operation Identification is a nationwide crime prevention program. The program involves the permanent marking of valuables with a driver's license number, recording of identification information, and affixing a decal to the exterior of the residence warning potential thieves that the property within is registered with the police. This program deters theft by making stolen property more difficult to sell and easier to identify.

This program is available to all members of the Davidson College community, and all students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate by:

1) Coming to the Campus Police Office during business hours to be provided with the following: an electric engraver. a property inventory sheet on which you can record identification information for each item of value.
2) Engraving a drivers license number on all moveable items of value.
3) Methodically inventorying the contents of each room, and recording the pertinent identification information on the property inventory sheet.
4) Returning the electric engraver, along with the completed property inventory sheet, to the Campus Police Office. The property inventory sheet will be kept on file for your reference in case of loss.

Self-Protection
The precautions outlined in this section can substantially decrease chances of becoming a crime victim.

General
Be aware! Recognize your vulnerability.
Report all suspicious persons, vehicles and activities to Campus Police immediately, via Campus Emergency/Escort phones or by dialing 9-911.
Use the "buddy system" and watch out for your neighbor.
Keep doors locked, especially when alone in a building.
Report lights that are out and any hazardous conditions immediately to the Physical Plant Office at 892-2595.
If someone is being victimized, get involved and notify Campus Police.
Remember the location of emergency phones in academic buildings. Emergency/escort phones have been placed in various locations on campus. Inside building phones are silver in color, and outside phones are yellow and "Emergency" is marked on the side. Some emergency/escort phones will display a blue light at the top.

In Elevators
If alone with a stranger, while waiting for an elevator, wait for its return.
If uneasy, while on an elevator with someone, get off at the next floor.
Always stand near the control panel, so as to have access to the alarm and floor buttons.
Emergency phones are installed in all passenger elevators. Push the button, and the phone will automatically dial the police communications center.

Walking
Avoid traveling alone at night. Please call Campus Police at 2178 for Safety Escort Service rather than walking alone at night.
If walking alone and someone passes by, check to be sure that person has continued walking the other direction.
Avoid the athletic fields and tennis courts after dark.
Confine walking to well-lit, regularly traveled walks and pathways. Avoid short-cuts, and keep away from shrubbery, bushes, alleyways, or any other areas where an assailant might be lurking.
Do not hitchhike or accept rides from casual acquaintances.
When walking to a parked vehicle, residence, or campus building, have keys in hand and ready.
When being dropped off at a residence or campus building by taxi or private vehicle, ask the driver to wait until all are inside.
If threatened by an approaching vehicle, run in the opposite direction. The vehicle will have to turn around in order to continue its pursuit.
When getting out of a car at a public convenience phone, rest stop, etc., take a look around to make sure that no one is following. If followed, cross the street. If necessary, keep crossing back and forth. If pursued, call for help and run to a campus building, business, or residence; enlist the aid of a passerby; flag down a passing motorist; or, as a last resort, pull a fire alarm. Do anything that might attract attention or summon assistance.
If confronted by an assailant, remember that while screaming and struggling may in some instances frighten off the assailant, in other instances such actions may further antagonize the assailant and bring forth a more violent reaction. It is extremely important to remain as calm as possible and to assess the situation before choosing a course of action. Whether or not the assailant is armed or makes threats against your life will, obviously, be a determining factor in making a decision. The key word in this type of situation is survival.

Sexual Assault Programs

It is important that all members of the college community take precautions and act responsibly toward the goal of reducing vulnerability for crime.  Should you become the victim of a sexual assault on campus, call the Davidson College Department of Public Safety & Police immediately at (704) 894-2178 or (704) 609-0344.  Victims are also advised of the importance of preserving any physical evidence that may be present for potential use for criminal proceedings (if desired), and not use the bathroom until after a hospital examination.  Victims of sexual assault off campus are strongly encouraged to report the crime to the local police.  The Davidson College Department of Public Safety & Police and the College Counseling Center will provide assistance to victims who wish to report sex offenses. Davidson College Department of Public Safety & Police are currently offering  R.A.D Classes. R.A.D stands for Rape Aggression and Defense, it gives women an option of self defense if they are attacked.  If you have any further questions about R.A.D or you would like to know when the next available class is you can contact Lt. John Sarver or Officer Laura Vanzant at 704-894-2178.

On-campus assistance for sexual assault victims includes:

Off-campus assistance is available at the Rape Crisis Center at (704) 375-9900.  The College will change a victim’s academic and living conditions after an alleged sex offense if the victim requests those changes and they are reasonably available.  As part of the College disciplinary action in cases of alleged sex offenses, the accuser and accused are entitled to the same opportunity to have others present during the disciplinary proceeding.  Both the accuser and the accused shall be informed of the outcome of any institutional disciplinary proceeding brought alleging a sex offense.