Monthly Archives: November 2014

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION – Aggravated Assault

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the “Clery Act”), 20 U.S.C. 1092 (f), the College of Charleston issues timely notices to notify the campus community of Clery Act crimes or other serious incidents that the College determines represent a serious and ongoing threat to the campus. The College may distribute timely notices using a variety of means, including emails, text messages, flyers, and website announcements posted on the Campus Safety website http://publicsafety.cofc.edu.

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act, the Department of Public Safety is informing the College of Charleston campus community of an off-campus assault.

Incident:  Aggravated Assault

Date:  11-24-2014

Time:  9:15 PM (2115 Hours)

Reported to:    College Of Charleston Department of Public Safety

Report # 14 – 20186

Location: Area of Charlotte and Concord Street, Charleston, SC

Suspects’ status:  At Large

Incident description:  The victim was walking to a vehicle parked in the area of Charlotte Street and Concord Street. The suspect struck the victim with an elbow while the victim was leaning over and then struck the victim in the face, possibly with glass. The victim fought back spraying the suspect with pepper spray. The suspect fled the scene.

Suspect Description:   Male, 5’10” tall, wearing a dark hoodie and blue jeans

Important Message:  It is important to note that the victim/survivor is never the cause of the criminal offense.  The College does not tolerate this behavior.

Avoid confrontation with individuals you encounter. Avoid becoming involved in incidents you observe. Use well-lit- routes, avoid dark vacant areas, and those not frequented by other people. Avoid walking alone at night. Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. Avoid distractions like talking on your cell phone.

If you observe unusual activity, try to remember details as best you can. For example, what a person was wearing or any other identifiers like scars, tattoos or shoes. Please always be aware of your surroundings, avoid walking alone at night, and notify Law Enforcement immediately if you observe potentially dangerous situations or individuals.

 

Public Safety is available to provide escorts on-campus and the Cougar Shuttle (888.960.2227) is available for off-campus transportation on the downtown peninsula seven nights a week from 11:00 P.M. – 3:00 A.M., during the fall and spring semesters.  For addition safety tips, visit http://publicsafety.cofc.edu/staying-safe/index.php .

Get Involved and Make a Difference:  The College encourages the prompt reporting of all crimes, On-campus contact Public Safety (843.953.5611), and off-campus (911).

Oftentimes, students are present when a crime is about to happen and bystander intervention is one method students may use to help prevent a crime from happening.  Learn how to develop this skill and safely intervene.  Contact the Office of Victim Services at 843.953.2273.

Victim Assistance:  Enrolled College of Charleston students who become victims of serious crime are encouraged to get victim assistance by contacting the Office of Victim Services (843.953.2273). Comprehensive services, including assistance with missed classes/academic disruption, are available regardless of the incident location, or if the student elected to file an official report, or not.

If you have any information regarding the crime indicated above, please contact:

City of Charleston Police Department
Emergencies: 911
Non-Emergency: 577-7434
Crime Stoppers: (Anonymous Reporting 554-1111)

College of Charleston Campus Police
Emergencies: 953-5611
Non-Emergency: 953-5609 (Administrative Line)
Crime Action Line: (Anonymous Reporting) 953-4998
Silent Witness: http://publicsafety.cofc.edu/contact-us/silent-witness/index.php

 

Active Shooter Response

In light of the recent events at Florida State University, it is an opportune time to review the appropriate procedures in the event of an active shooter scenario. In addition to reviewing the information below, I also encourage you to view the Department of Homeland Security’s Run. Hide. Fight. Video. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our Crime Prevention Officer, PSO Madeline Sloan, or Director Reese.

Introduction

An active shooter is a person or persons who appear to be actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people, most often in populated areas. In most cases active shooters use firearm(s) and display no pattern or method for selection of their victims. In some cases active shooters use improvised explosive devices to cause additional victimization and act as an impediment to law enforcement and emergency services responders. These improvised explosive devices may detonate immediately, have delayed detonation fuses, or may detonate on contact. Active shooter situations are dynamic and evolve rapidly, demanding immediate response by the community and immediate deployment of law enforcement resources to stop the shooting and prevent further harm to the community. This document provides guidance to faculty, staff, and students who may be caught in an active shooter situation, and describes what to expect from responding law enforcement officers. Be aware that the 911 system may become overwhelmed.

For additional information see the Guidelines noted below and refer to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “Active Shooter How to Respond” guide (pdf).

Guidelines

In general, how you respond to an active shooter will be dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter. If you find yourself involved in an active shooter situation, try to remain calm and call 911 as soon as possible.

If an active shooter is outside your building or inside the building you are in, you should:

  • Try to remain calm.
  • If you are able to evacuate that building, do so.
  • Try to warn other faculty, staff, students and visitors to take immediate shelter.
  • Proceed to a room that can be locked or barricaded.
  • Lock and barricade doors or windows.
  • Turn off lights.
  • Close blinds.
  • Turn off radios or other devices that emit sound.
  • Keep yourself out of sight, stay away from windows and take adequate cover/protection, i.e. concrete walls, thick desks, filing cabinets.
  • Silence cell phones.
  • Have one person Call 843-953-5611 or 911 and provide:
    • “This is College of Charleston (give your location) we have an active shooter on campus, gunshots fired.”
    • If you were able to see the offender(s), give a description of the persons(s) sex, race, clothing, type of weapon(s), location last observed, direction of travel, and identity – if known.
    • If you observed any victims, give a description of the location and number of victims.
    • If you observed any suspicious devices (improvised explosive devices), provide the location observed and a description.
    • If you heard any explosions, provide a description and location.
  • Wait patiently until a uniformed police officer, or a university official known to you, provides an “all clear.”
  • Unfamiliar voices may be an active shooter trying to lure you from safety; do not respond to voice commands until you can verify with certainty that they are being issued by a police officer or university official.
  • Attempts to rescue people should only be attempted if it can be accomplished without further endangering the persons inside a secured area.
  • Depending on circumstances, consideration may also be given to exiting ground floor windows as safely and quietly as possible.

If an active shooter enters your office or classroom, you should:

  • Try to remain calm.
  • Try not to do anything that will provoke the active shooter.
  • If there is no possibility of escape or hiding, only as a last resort when it is imminent that your life is in danger should you make a personal choice to attempt to negotiate with or overpower the assailant(s).
  • Call 843-953-5611 or 911, if possible, and provide the information listed in the first guideline.
  • If the active shooter(s) leaves the area, barricade the room or proceed to a safer location.

If you are in an outside area and encounter an active shooter, you should:

  • Try to remain calm.
  • Move away from the active shooter or the sounds of gunshot(s) and/or explosion(s).
  • Look for appropriate locations for cover/protection, i.e. brick walls, retaining walls, large trees, parked vehicles, or any other object that may stop bullet penetration.
  • Try to warn other faculty, staff, students and visitors to take immediate shelter.
  • Call 843-953-5611 or 911 and provide the information listed in the first guideline.

What to expect from responding police officers

The objectives of responding police officers are:

  • Immediately engage or contain the active shooter(s) in order to stop life threatening behavior.
  • Identify threats such as improvised explosive devices.
  • Identify victims to facilitate medical care, interviews and counseling.
  • Investigation

 

Police officers responding to an active shooter are trained to proceed immediately to the area in which shots were last heard in order to stop the shooting as quickly as possible. The first responding officers may be in teams; they may be dressed in normal patrol uniforms, or they may be wearing external ballistic vests and Kevlar helmets or other tactical gear. The officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns or handguns. Do exactly as the officers instruct. The first responding officers will be focused on stopping the active shooter and creating a safe environment for medical assistance to be brought in to aid the injured.

Crime Prevention Update Nov 13 2014

It is hard to believe how quickly the semester is passing. I hope everyone enjoyed their fall break and is ready to enter the holiday season! Here are a few things to pass along from the Department:

  • Thank you to all who attended our annual Campus Safety Walk last week. We greatly appreciate all of the feedback we received from our participants on the safety and security of the College. The event served as a great way for the campus community to interact with their Public Safety Officers and actively participate in the physical security of the campus.
  • As Thanksgiving break is approaching, now is the time to prepare your residence if you are planning on going out of town for the holiday. For those of you residing in the downtown area, particularly students living in off-campus housing, you can contact the Charleston Police Department ((843) 720-2426) if you would like an officer to keep an eye on your residence while you are away. Any faculty, staff, or students living outside the immediate area are encouraged to call their local police department, as most law enforcement agencies offer this service.
  • In the past few weeks, we have received several questions regarding Public Safety’s role in the enforcement of the Tobacco-Free Campus Policy. As the policy states, effective implementation depends on the courtesy, cooperation, and respect of all members of the campus community. Although enforcement is a community effort, if Public Safety receives a call in reference to someone violating this policy, an officer will respond. Policy violation and discipline is outlined in section 7.0 of the policy. The tobacco-free campus map can be viewed here. For more information, please contact the tobacco-free committee.
  • We had great participation at the McAlister Family Fued event last night. Thank you to PSO Williams, SSO Chisolm, and the staff at Counseling and Substance Abuse Services for hosting this event.
  • Thank you to all of the students, faculty, and staff who participated in our R.A.D. program this semester. We were pleased with the high turn-out and are looking forward to hosting more classes in the spring. For more information, please visit our website or email rad@cofc.edu. Below are the class dates for next semester:

Spring 2015

3/17 5pm- 8pm

3/19 5pm- 8pm

3/24 5pm- 8pm

3/26 5pm- 8pm

  • As a reminder, the Department of Public Safety is available 24/7 to provide safety escorts to all students, faculty, and staff. The Cougar Shuttle is available for off-campus transportation on the downtown peninsula seven nights a week from 11:00 P.M. – 3:00 A.M., during the fall and spring semesters.
  • Be social with us! If you have not already, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for departmental news, upcoming events, and other important information.  If you are having trouble accessing our pages, please make sure you are signed into your social media account.

Crime Prevention Tip:

If you are planning a holiday vacation, take simple steps to make your home look occupied. Have a trusted friend or neighbor collect mail, rake leaves, and take in/out garbage and recycling bins.

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION – Burglary

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the “Clery Act”), 20 U.S.C. 1092 (f), the College of Charleston issues timely notices to notify the campus community of Clery Act crimes or other serious incidents that the College determines represent a serious and ongoing threat to the campus. The College may distribute timely notices using a variety of means, including emails, text messages, flyers, and website announcements posted on the Campus Safety website https://blogs.charleston.edu/publicsafety/category/community-notification/.

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act, the Department of Public Safety is informing the College of Charleston campus community of off campus incidents.

Incident:  Burglary

Date:  11/09/2014 to 11/11/2014

Reported to:    Charleston City Police Department

Location:  70 block of Warren St., 50 block of Vanderhorst St., and 20 block of Duncan St, Charleston, SC

Suspects’ status: At Large

Incident description:  Please be aware that in the last two days, three burglaries to residences were reported within about a block of each other:

70 block of Warren St. , 50 block of Vanderhorst St., and 20 block of Duncan St.

Entry was made through unsecured windows at night.

Please forward and ask all residents and students to keep all windows and doors locked, and to report any suspicious persons, noises, or vehicles they observe.

If anyone has information on these crimes, please call Charleston Police.

Suspect Description:   Unknown

Important Message:  It is important to note that the victim/survivor is never the cause of the criminal offense.  The College does not tolerate this behavior.

Keep emergency numbers either programmed into your phone or readily accessible. Keep doors and windows locked at all times, even when you are at home. Do not hold doors open or allow access to building for people you do not know. Report safety and security issues around your residence to the proper authority, to include: overgrown plants, damaged locks, burnt out lights, etc. Do not keep large amounts of cash in your residence. Ensure all doors and windows are locked when you leave. Do not place valuable items in places where they are seen from outside. Mark and photograph your valuable items to assist in recovery. Do not keep spare keys in obvious hiding places. If you return to your residence and you think is has been illegally entered, do not go in, immediately call Law Enforcement.

If you observe unusual activity, try to remember details as best you can. For example, what a person was wearing or any other identifiers like scars, tattoos or shoes. Please always be aware of your surroundings, avoid walking alone at night, and notify Law Enforcement immediately if you observe potentially dangerous situations or individuals.

 

Public Safety is available to provide escorts on-campus and the Cougar Shuttle (888.960.2227) is available for off-campus transportation on the downtown peninsula seven nights a week from 11:00 P.M. – 3:00 A.M., during the fall and spring semesters.  For addition safety tips, visit http://publicsafety.cofc.edu/stay-safe/index.php.

Get Involved and Make a Difference:  The College encourages the prompt reporting of all crimes, On-campus contact Public Safety (843.953.5611), and off-campus (911).

Oftentimes, students are present when a crime is about to happen and bystander intervention is one method students may use to help prevent a crime from happening.  Learn how to develop this skill and safely intervene.  Contact the Office of Victim Services at 843.953.2273.

Victim Assistance:  Enrolled College of Charleston students who become victims of serious crime are encouraged to get victim assistance by contacting the Office of Victim Services (843.953.2273). Comprehensive services, including assistance with missed classes/academic disruption, are available regardless of the incident location, or if the student elected to file an official report, or not.

If you have any information regarding the crime indicated above, please contact:

City of Charleston Police Department
Emergencies: 911
Non-Emergency: 577-7434
Crime Stoppers: (Anonymous Reporting 554-1111)

College of Charleston Campus Police
Emergencies: 953-5611
Non-Emergency: 953-5609 (Administrative Line)
Crime Action Line: (Anonymous Reporting) 953-4988
Silent Witness: http://publicsafety.cofc.edu/silent-witness.php

Crime Prevention Update Oct 30 2014

On behalf of Public Safety, we wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween. As we approach Fall Break, here are a few things to pass along from the Department:

  • Over the next few months, there will be on-going construction in the area of J lot and Jewish Studies.  Please note that this area is off-limits, and any unauthorized entry into the construction site is considered trespassing. With the increase in activity, please continue to stay observant and report any suspicious activity you may see to Public Safety. Remember, you can report any non-emergency anonymously by calling the Crime Action Line (843)953-4998 or by filling out a Silent Witness form on our website.
  • Since the start of the academic year, there has been an increase in bicycle larcenies, particularly in the area surrounding New Student Programs and Berry and McAlister Residence Halls. Public Safety has made an effort to increase patrols in this area, in addition to working with on-campus partners to add additional bike racks throughout campus. We are asking for your help in reducing crime rates on campus by taking extra measures to secure your personal property. Never leave your bicycle unsecure, and refrain from locking it to fixed objects such as trees, light poles, etc. Public Safety recommends that you secure your bike with a U-Lock, which can be purchased at the campus bookstore, or any local bicycle shop.
  • The Department of Public Safety will be conducting our annual Campus Safety Walk on November 5, 2014 at 6:30pm. We will meet in the lobby of Stern Center. This is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to take back the campus by walking along with Public Safety officers to acknowledge any safety hazards or concerns. We highly encourage you to come out, participate, and enjoy free food with Public Safety.
  • Be social with us! If you have not already, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for departmental news, upcoming events, and other important information.  If you are having trouble accessing our pages, please make sure you are signed into your social media account.

Crime Prevention Tip:

As you are celebrating Halloween this year, please use a heightened sense of awareness. If you are operating a motor vehicle, be cognizent of trick-or-treaters, especially in residential areas. Young children may not always look before crossing the street.

 

If you plan on partaking in Halloween festivities, remember that no one over 16 may wear a mask in public, and even that is only allowed for actual Trick-or-Treat activities. If attending a late night or costume party, people must wait until they arrive to put on any masks.