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POTOMAC STATE COLLEGE OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT The University Police at Potomac State College have the same law enforcement authority as deputy sheriffs on University property. Our Department is well-respected by all local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and has developed very effective and cooperative working relations with these agencies. The University Police are charged with the responsibility for investigation, follow-up, apprehension, and resolution of any incident reported to us. For the department to achieve its mission, it is critical that all members of the community report crimes promptly and accurately. The University Police, through news releases, brochures and publications, presentations, and one-on-one encounters encourage the accurate and prompt reporting of not only crimes on campus, but any suspicious activity or security breach which may be witnessed by the public. The University Police believe in and practice Community-Based Policing. We feel very strongly the need for community involvement and support. We provide information concerning security to new employees during their orientation and to new students through Freshman Orientation Presentations. We also have information in the Employee and Student handbooks, telephone directories, and other publications. We have a wide variety of Crime Prevention Programs from orientation training for new employees and students to Operation Identification. We supply releases of all reported activities to the Universityýs student newspaper and the local newspaper, and we supply a variety of Crime Prevention materials to all college facilities. All of these programs are ongoing and are incorporated into our patrol activities with insecure Premises Reporting, Crime Prevention briefings with incident reporting, and individual instruction by patrol officers to the public.
Crime Awareness and Campus Security The mission of the University Police Department is to provide a safe and secure environment for everyone at Potomac State College of West Virginia University. The University Police Department monitors all areas of campus with regard to law enforcement, personal and physical security and safety. UPD also responds to on campus law enforcement or emergency situations 24 hours a day. This publication is designed to provide you with information regarding the security programs offered at this institution, and your responsibility to promote safety. West Virginia University and Potomac State College has taken prudent steps to promote a safe and secure environment that is compatible with the University communityýs academic and co-curricular pursuits. We solicit your support in making our University community safe and secure by accepting responsibility for your actions and committing to participate in programs to assist others. No institution can guarantee the total safety and security of all its members. Only through community support and involvement can we be successful in achieving our goal. We ask you to help us by not taking unnecessary risks, by locking your door and securing the facilities when you leave, and reporting any suspicious activity or crime immediately. Together, we can help make West Virginia University and Potomac State College a more safe and secure environment for the community. Crime Reporting and Response At Potomac State College of West Virginia University, we are members of the 911 Emergency Service Network. You may contact our University Police by dialing 9-911 from any University exchange. We strongly encourage you to report all crimes or suspicious activities that you may witness while on campus. Our Department will make every reasonable effort to promptly and professionally resolve any problem reported to us. The University Police Department is charged with collecting statistics and preparing the Jeanne Clery Act Report. The department collects the data from various sources including the Office of Student Life, Housing and Residence Life, and the Keyser Police Department. The University Police will provide timely notices of crimes by providing news releases to the local media and when deemed a significant threat will make special notices in the effected facilities and by personal communications. We do not currently accept anonymous confidential voluntary reporting by victims or witness, nor do we encourage the confidential voluntary reporting by professional counselors or pastors. PSC ALERT is one layer that sends mass communications to those who subscribe. The service is free and sign up/registration occurs each semester. Security, Access, and Facilities Maintenance We strive to make our facilities available to students, faculty, and staff so they may pursue their educational goals and missions. This availability requires a balance with security needs. It is not our desire to lock down all our facilities, giving a military appearance to University facilities. For this reason, many of our units are accessible during all hours with appropriate clearance. Currently, all academic and athletic buildings are locked at approximately 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Residence Halls are staffed 24 hours daily, seven days weekly, by professional staff and trained students assistants who serve as resource persons for each residence. Residence halls are kept locked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Only the people living in the residence halls and appropriate staff have access to them. Propped- door alarms are installed on each exterior door to ensure that building security is not compromised. University Police, Physical Plant, Facilities Management and others are committed to maintaining a safe environment by evaluating lighting, shrubs and bushes and facility design. We encourage you to report any hazards or concerns to our office by dialing (304) 788-6931. Policy on Off- Campus Criminal Activity The department has no jurisdiction over off- campus facilities and areas. We do provide training and prevention programs on request and assist the Keyser Police on request. Policy on Alcoholic Beverages/ Illegal Drugs West Virginia University and Potomac State College is primarily concerned with the health, safety, and well being of all students with the respect to the intelligent use and non-use of alcohol. The University expects those who use alcohol to do so responsibly and within the bounds of the laws of the State of West Virginia and the City of Keyser.
General State Laws Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, including beer, by anyone under the age of twenty-one is a violation of the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commission statue. It is also violation of this same statute for anyone to buy for, or give to, anyone under the age of twenty-one any alcoholic beverages, including beer or for anyone under the age of twenty-one to misrepresent his or her age, or who for such purpose presents or offers any written evidence of age which is false, fraudulent or not actually his or her own. Drug- Free Workplace Policy Potomac State College of West Virginia University has established awareness programs for students, faculty, and staff about the nature and consequences of alcohol and drug abuse and dependence. These programs provide appropriate information, education, consultation and referral, as well as addressing the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace. Further information is included in the Drug Prevention Programs Booklet developed by the Office of the President. The University Police at Potomac State enforce State and Federal laws as they may apply to violations occurring on West Virginia University property. Enforcement is measured against the best interest of society and the individual, and where treatment may serve the larger need, then treatment is preferred. Hate Crime Reporting The University Police collect and report statistics for murder, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, manslaughter, arson, theft, simple assault, intimidation, and destruction of property when the victim is intentionally selected because of actual or perceived race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability of the victim. Sexual Assault Prevention Programming and Information Sexual assault is taken very seriously by our institution. We believe very strongly in educational programs to prevent such assault and training to properly handle assault should it occur. Sexual assault can happen to anyone, no matter how prepared or cautious they may be. Victims should not blame themselves or hesitate to report the incident. Whatever the circumstances, victims often fear being blamed, humiliated, or not believed. These feelings of fear, guilt, and helplessness can lead to depression, illness, and trouble with academics and relationships. Remember, no one deserves or asks to be sexually assaulted. You are encouraged to report any incident to one of the resources listed below, obtain a medical examination, and take advantage of available support systems. PSC- WVU Sexual Assault Optional Resources Medical:
Report: On- Campus ý University Police/ PSC- (304) 788-6931 or 911 Off- Campus: ý Keyser Police Department- (304) 788-1311 ý WV State Police- (304) 788-1101 ý Mineral County Sheriffýs Department- (304) 788-0441 Support Services: On- Campus ý Counseling Service- (304) 788-6976 ý Dean of Student Affairs- (304) 788-6843 ý Campus Ministry- (304) 788-6868 ý Residence Life (resource for changes in living arrangements)- (304) 788-7248 Off- Campus ý Family Crisis Center- (304) 788-6061 ý Potomac Highland Guild- 1-800-545-4357 ý National Sexual Assault Hotline- 1-800-656-4673 Possible sanctions for sexual assault or other sex offenses by the institution following an on-campus disciplinary hearing are as follows:
In case of alleged sexual assault or other sex offenses handled through on-campus disciplinary hearings, the following states shall be appropriate:
Students may obtain assistance in changing academic and living situations after an alleged sexual assault by contacting the Dean of Student Affairs or the Director of Housing or the Director of Residence Life. Requested changes should be accommodated when reasonably available. If you are raped or sexually assaulted, you should take the following steps:
The institution offers a wide range of educational programs concerning sexual assaults. The programs are too numerous to mention in this publication. For more details, please call those agencies listed above for specific details or scheduling. Again, sexual assaults are very serious incidents and as a member of our community, we need your active involvement in preventing or reducing the opportunities for sexual assaults. Report any suspicious activities to the University Police, and be alert while on campus. Registered Sex Offender information The State of The University Police at Potomac State maintains a Sex-Offenders Notebook and a Campus Crime Log at that location for public inspection. Sexual offender information is also available at the following website: http://www.wvstatepolice.com/sexoff. Emergency Planning and Response West Virginia University has developed an emergency response plan that complies with the National Incident Management System and provides facility-specific planning assistance. We encourage all community members to become familiar with their building plans and campus plan. Brochures and the University Emergency Response Plan may be viewed at http:/police.wvu.edu/emergency_management The University employs a layered approach to emergency notification. PSC ALERT is one layer that sends mass communications to those subscribed. It is free and sign-up/registration occurs each semester. This system is supported by emails, mass media, and other localized systems. The University Police will send an email notice at the beginning of each semester to the campus community to remind them of the emergency plans and their need to be engaged in the process and prepared. The University will perform exercises and drills to evaluate the plan and training needs. Emergency Contact and Missing Person Protocol If a Potomac State College of West Virginia University student living in University-operated housing is suspected to be missing from campus, immediately report it to a residence hall staff member (i.e. residence hall coordinator, resident faculty leader, resident assistant) or the University Police Department (UPD). A residence hall student may provide a confidential contact person to the University Police Department to be used only if the student is determined to be missing. If a student resides off-campus, contact the University Police for assistance at 304-788-6931 or by calling 911. All reports of missing students made to the residence hall staff and/or the UPD will be investigated by University Police. If the investigation determines that the student has been missing over 24 hours then within the next 24 hours the University Police Department will notify the missing personýs confidential contact person, family, parent or guardian and will notify the appropriate law enforcement agency(s). In addition a missing personýs bulletin/message may be sent out to appropriate agencies and areas. Fire Safety Fire safety procedures and reporting for on-campus student housing facilities. Statistics are compiled for each on-campus student housing facility concerning the following: The number of fires and the cause of each fire. The number of injuries related to a fire that resulted in treatment in a medical facility. The number of deaths related to a fire. The value of property damage caused by a fire. The statistics are kept on file at the University Police office. Statistics are also posted on the annual Clery report. On-campus student housing facility fire safety systems. Potomac State College has five student Residence Halls. Reynolds Hall, Friend Hall, Memorial Hall and University Place are always open for student use. Davis Hall is used as necessary for over flow housing. Reynolds, Friend and Memorial Halls have fire alarms that are monitored by an independent monitoring service that alerts the Mineral County 911 Center upon activation. The alarms have pull stations and a combination of heat and smoke detectors. There are no sprinkler systems in these buildings. In addition to mandatory fire drills the systems are tested annually by the alarm service. Davis Hall has the same system as Reynolds, Friend and Memorial Halls. The system is not presently on a monitoring service. There is no sprinkler system. University Place has the same fire alarm system as the other residence halls. It is also monitored by the independent monitoring service. This building does have a sprinkler system. The system is powered by a fire pump that is generator driven. The system also has standard fire department hook ups. Plans for future improvements in fire safety. The college is trying to allocate funds to retrofit the residence halls with sprinkler systems. The fire alarm system in Davis Hall will be connected to the independent monitoring service if occupied. Regular mandatory supervised fire drills. Per recommendation from the West Virginia State Fire Marshalýs Office supervised fire drills are conducted once every other month by the Residential Education Department. Records of the fire drills are kept in the Residential Education office. Fire safety policies. The following policies are outlined in the Residence Hall handbook. Items not permitted in the residence halls. Toasters, electric ovens, waffle irons, sandwich makers, crock pots, portable heaters, electric grills, any appliance with an open flame heating element, candles, incense, electric or kerosene heaters, extension cords or multi-receptacle outlets, charcoal grills, charcoal, gasoline, lighter fluid or any combustible liquid, halogen lamps. The policy also advises that it is a fire safety violation to: Intentionally or unintentionally cause smoke or fires by using items such as candles, incense, smoke bombs or fireworks. Accidentally or intentionally misuse fire safety equipment, including but not limited to fire hoses, fire extinguishers, sprinklers, exit signs, pull stations and fire alarms. Use extension cords or multi-receptacle outlets with the exception of UL listed power strips with surge protectors. Fail to evacuate when a fire alarm sounds. Use or possession of open flame (i.e. burning candles or incense) or open element appliances, including toasters, hot plates and hot pots in residence hall rooms or unauthorized areas. Cooking in residence hall rooms or unauthorized areas. Procedures for evacuation. Evacuation procedures are explained to residents at the first floor meeting of the semester by the Residence Hall Coordinators and the Resident Assistants. Evacuation routes are posted on the walls of the hallways. Fire safety education and training programs. Fire safety education and training programs are provided by University Police as requested. Fire prevention material is also available at the University Police Office. Fires in on-campus student housing facilities Total occurrences 2008 0 Criminal Offenses- On-Campus
m. Intimidation 0 0 0 Criminal Offenses- On-Campus Residence Halls
m. Intimidation 0 0 0
Criminal Offenses- Non-Campus
Criminal Offenses- Public Property
Arrest- On-Campus
Arrest- On-Campus Residence Halls
Disciplinary Actions/Judicial Referrals- On-Campus
Arrest- Non-Campus
Disciplinary Actions/Judicial Referrals- Non-Campus
Arrest- Public Property
Disciplinary Actions/Judicial Referrals- Public Property
Disciplinary Actions/Judicial Referrals- Reported by Local & State Police
Hate Offenses- On- Campus
Hate Offenses- On- Campus Residence Halls
Hate Offenses- Non- Campus
Hate Offenses- Public Property
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