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Campus Safety Tips

Often people contribute to crimes of opportunity by needlessly placing themselves or their property at risk. Prevention efforts can be effective in reducing the opportunities for criminal activity.

Student Safety Check-lists

  • Sign-up for or update your personal information for Eagle Alerts.
  • Add additional important contacts under your Eagle Alerts account (parents, guardians, loved ones, etc.).
  • Like CMU on Facebook (www.facebook.com/centralmethodist) or Twitter (@cmuniv) to keep up-to-date in emergency situations.
  • Program an 'In Case of Emergency' (ICE) entry into your cell phone.
  • Learn what you are supposed to do during an emergency.
  • Keep your car locked at all times and keep valuables out of sight.
  • Know where the emergency exits are in each building. They are posted by the stairs or elevators.
  • Check your residence for safety issues (windows, locks, lighting, etc.) and report anything not functioning properly to your residence hall director or residence assistant.

Safety Tips

  • Be aware of your surroundings (situational awareness). Avoid walking around while using electronic devices (i.e. cell phone, I-Pod, etc.). Electronic devices may distract you from things going on around you.
  • Never travel alone. Traveling with a friend is a good idea on or off campus. If you find yourself alone on campus and you are not comfortable walking by yourself, you may call campus safety C: 660-202-0848 24/7 or 660-248-6295 (Plant Operations) during normal business hours to have a safety officer accompany you to and from locations on campus.
  • Know your campus. Review a map of the campus at a minimum. Know where the emergency phones are located. Best practice is to walk the campus during daylight hours so you become more familiar with your surroundings during hours of darkness.
  • When traveling on campus by foot during hours of darkness ensure you walk in areas that are well lighted with a friend.
  • Keep your phone readily available and have emergency phone numbers handy for unexpected emergency situations.
  • When walking to your car, have your keys in your hand and ready to use when you enter the parking lot or street.
  • If you feel you are being followed, walk or run to an occupied residence hall, facility, or an area where people are present. Yelling or screaming may also be effective. Be prepared to call campus safety C: 660-202-0848 24/7 or 660-248-6295 (Plant Operations) during normal business hours. In an emergency call 911 for Fayette Police Department.
  • Never allow anyone to follow you into a building requiring a key card. If they need in, they will have a key card allowing them access.
  • Never prop open a door requiring a key card. This is how people who don't belong in buildings gain access.
  • Ensure you secure your doors and windows to your room or home.
  • Never flash large amounts of money or leave money unsecured. Keep personal belongings secured when not in use.
  • Report a crime if you are a witness or victim. Sensitive crimes can be reported confidentially.

Your Role

A high percentage of campus crimes are incidents of opportunity. Often students contribute to situational crimes by needlessly placing themselves or their property at risk. Crime will occur whenever there is opportunity, but prevention efforts can be effective in reducing these opportunities. You play an essential role in crime prevention efforts. Be cautious, careful, and alert to your own safety; protect your possessions and college property.

Bystander Initiative

Building a Safer Community. What's Your Role?

The CMU Bystander Initiative is a community mobilization effort that focuses on leadership and bystander intervention to prevent harm on campus. CMU Bystander Initiative was designed to help members of the CMU community take proactive steps to create a safe campus, recognize potentially harmful situations, identify obstacles/barriers to intervention, and develop a course of action to intervene when a witness to a potential moment of harm. CMU Bystander Initiative helps CMU community members cultivate a skill set to take positive action when encountering potential moments of harm. Members of the CMU community who participate in the CMU Bystander Imitative workshops and leadership training learn to recognize harmful behaviors that can arise in social settings and collaborate with one another to develop intervention strategies that accommodate various scenarios and individual strengths.

Being an Effective Bystander

  • A bystander is a person who is present when an event takes place but isn't directly involved. Bystanders might be present when sexual assault or abuse occurs-or they could witness the circumstances that lead up to these crimes.
  • Stepping in as a bystander may give the person you're concerned about a chance to get to a safe place or leave the situation.
  • A key first step in being an effective bystander is heightened awareness so individuals and groups are better able to identify instances of sexual violence.
  • While it's not always easy to decide to step in and take action, it's important to realize that your actions can have a big impact.
  • In many situations, bystanders have the opportunity to prevent crimes like sexual assault from happening in the first place.

Green Dot Bystander Intervention? HELP - Green Dot Bystander Intervention

Campus Facility Access

  • At CMU most buildings are open only when classes are in session or during regular business hours. Residence halls are always locked and residents must have their card access key to enter. Guests may enter only when accompanied by a resident.
  • Employees who have a key to a campus building and desire to work after hours are encouraged to contact campus safety to let the officer know; who, what when, where and why they will be occupying a building to ensure their safety and the room(s) and building are properly secured when work is complete. Persons who do not have a key and need access must have an after hours pass signed by the department head or director as well as their student or employee ID card to gain access by contacting campus security.
  • An authorized individual entering or leaving a locked building will not allow any unauthorized individual to enter the building. Authorized personnel may have guests with them as long as the guest stays near faculty and staff members who have an assigned key and the authorized individual assumes full responsibility for their presence. An individual entering or leaving a secured building shall be responsible for checking the door to ensure that it is latched behind them.
  • The theft or loss of assigned keys should be reported immediately to your Department supervisor and Plant Operations/Safety. Do not lend your keys to anyone. You are solely responsible for the keys. Review the campus key policy found in employee handbook under employee benefit programs.

These are only a few tips. One may be as safe as they possibly can and still find themselves in a situation that may cause harm or personal injury. Campus safety is everyone's business. Do not allow yourself to become complacent, continue to be aware of your surroundings (situational awareness). Know your neighbor's/class mates and look out for each other. Knowing who lives on your floor or belongs in a certain area can help you determine if the individual does not belong. Call campus security if you witness anything suspicious so they may further investigate. Many crimes are prevented by phone calls about suspicious activity.