Student Safety

1. Student Safety UK Students who attended PCW speakouts during the Spring Semester of 2002 identified SAFETY as the single MOST IMPORTANT issue women students face on University of Kentucky campus.

2. Educational Programs offering seminars on personal safety, theft prevention, workplace security, alcohol awareness and police procedures and services. UK Police Officers are available to discuss all of these issues with groups or individuals including free seminars, open forums, informational programs or personal interviews. Existing Programs at Benchmarks and at UK

3. Bicycle Registration: provides for easier recovery in case of theft. UK’s Operation Identification is a nationally recognized property identification program in which property is engraved with a personal identification number and that number is kept in a safe place along with the the property’s serial number and description. UK also provides Bicycle Registration. Existing Programs at Benchmarks and at UK

4. Rape education and prevention programs including: Free self-defense classes Counseling services for rape victims 24 Hour Rape Crisis hotline UK Police Department is in the process of creating a self-defense program called STARR (Self-defense Techniques And Risk Reduction). UKPD expects this program to be available starting Spring 2003. UK Police are qualified to provide informational seminars on various safety topics including date rape, sexual assault, stalking, etc. upon request 24 Hour Rape Crisis hotline is available to UK students (Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center 24-hour crisis hotline Existing Programs at Benchmarks and at UK

5. Anonymous Tip Hotline for students to report crime and not reveal their identity Crime Alerts to inform students when crime occurs near their residence hall or on campus UK Police Department’s website provides phone number and email for students to anonymously report crime UKPD provides Crime Alerts on website Existing Programs at Benchmarks and at UK

6. 24 Hour Security in Residence Halls including controlled access and self-locking doors. Residence halls provide security procedures such as desk service, security patrols, staff on duty, hardware and restricted access plans. All visitors must be signed in and out of the halls and leave a photo ID at the front desk. All visitors are to be escorted at all times and visitation hours are enforced. Stairwell fire doors and corridor doors are self-closing and self-locking. Residence hall policy restricts these doors from being propped open. Existing Programs at Benchmarks and at UK

7. However… • Residence halls are in need of better security. Often, desk clerks pay no attention to who is entering, exiting, etc. Many times on sign in logs, UKPD will find fictional names, e.g. Mickey Mouse, etc. All residence halls should be equipped with 24 hour access control, limiting access to only those residing in the building, along with a professional staff to enforce this policy. • Inconsistency between residence halls policies is a problem. Different dorms have different rules. Access needs to be restricted and regulated consistently across campus in all residence halls.

8. For Example: At Ohio State, campus residence halls are locked 24 hours a day. To gain access, students must use their student ID cards to open an outside door by swiping a magnetic card reader. Students without ID cards or hall guests may request access by using a foyer telephone to talk with the hall desk staff. http://www.osuhousing.com/FAQ/faq-safe.html#one

9. Continual Campus Police Patrol UK Police maintain three overlapping shifts with officers in patrol cars, on foot or on bicycles to provide 24-hour campus police coverage UK’s Adopt-A-COPP (Campus Oriented Police Program): UK Police officer updates residents on crime statistics for their residence halls, implements crime prevention measures for student residents, conducts educational and safety programs, and assists with maintaining physical security of the building. Existing Programs at Benchmarks and at UK

10. However….. • Despite UK’s extensive growth of both property and enrollment, the UKPD has the same number of officers as it did 29 years ago. • The ratio of UK police officers to UK students on UK campus is 861 students for every one officer.

11. How do we compare? • In a 2001 study of twelve SEC schools conducted by the University of Arkansas, UK designated .15% of the budget for the UK Police Department. This amount was the fourth lowest of all SEC schools. LSU, which ranked highest, allocates .91% of their budget to their campus Police Department. • In a 1995 study examining all U.S. campus law enforcement agencies of 4-year colleges’ and universities’ serving 2,500 students or more,, the U.S. Department of Justice reported an average of 1.5 sworn officers per 1,000 students. UK falls below this average, with a current average of 1.2. • The U.S. Department of Justice also reported in 1995 that public 4-year universities spent an average of $94 per student for law enforcement operating costs. According to the University of Arkansas study of SEC schools, UK spent $61.69 per student in 2001, the lowest of all SEC schools. The maximum spent per student in this study was $194.02 at Vanderbilt University

12. Good exterior lighting to ensure security for students walking on campus after dark. UK Police have adopted the recommended lighting and landscaping levels established by the IACLEA and exterior lighting is checked weekly by third shift officers. Students also have access to campus map showing best lit areas to walk after dark. UKPD Crime Prevention Office is in the process of conducting detailed security surveys after dark to check on lighting, landscaping, emergency phones, etc. Existing Programs at Benchmarks and at UK

13. However… • No “safe walking route” is clearly marked on campus. Without a map, students cannot easily know which areas are perceived as unsafe. Many places on campus are unsafe. UKPD would like to see a designated “safe walking route” that would provide very brightly lit walkways unimpeded by landscaping in the high pedestrian traffic areas at night.

14. For Example: University of Wisconsin Madison’s “Lightway”is a network of well lit sidewalks and paths for pedestrians that are adjacent to campus buildings and marked by reflective Lightway logos affixed to light poles.

15. Emergency phones located across campus which connect directly to the campus police department. 19 emergency phones are located across campus. When phones are activated by pushing red button, blue strobe light is activated and UK Police are contacted and know location without verbal communication. Existing Programs at Benchmarks and at UK

16. However… We are in need of more emergency call boxes around campus. Presently there are: • No emergency phones in the William T. Young parking garage • No emergency phones in Commonwealth Stadium or in the surrounding parking lots • No emergency phones in the main Medical Center or in the Medical Center parking garage. • Only one emergency phone in the South Campus residence hall area, one in North Campus residence hall area, one in Central Campus residence hall area, and one in Lexington Community College

17. How do we compare?

18. More Emergency Call Boxes? • UKPD recently submitted a proposal for an additional 70+ emergency call boxes to the administration and has had no response.

19. Escort Services to ensure a safe walk/drive home for students on campus after dark. No escort service is currently available for UK students after dark!! *SGA has sponsored this for many years. Last year this responsibility was taken from the Air Force ROTC program and given to the Farmhouse Fraternity, who has declined to do it again this year. Currently no one has taken on this responsibility, although the UKPD is working to reinstate a campus escort service. Benchmark Safety Programs NOT existing at UK

20. Benchmark Safety Programs NOT existing at UK • Video recording units in public areas including on buildings, light poles and inside of Police Emergency Reporting Phones University of Marylandhttp://www.umpd.umd.edu/programs_and_services/vidfaq.htm

21. Benchmark Safety Programs NOT existing at UK • As a preventive safety measure, Campus Student Conflict Resolution and Mediation Services is responsible for providing conflict resolution assistance to students including informal assistance, mediation services, presentations and courses. -University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign http://www.conflictresolution.uiuc.edu/judicial/witness.asp

22. Benchmark Safety Programs NOT existing at UK • Yellow Cab Ride Program- Campus Police department, in cooperation with Dean of Students Office sponsors a program for students who may find themselves in situations where they need a cab, but do not have the money to pay for it. The Dean’s Office contracts with local cab company so that students with a valid student I.D. can sign a “chit” for a taxi ride. The bill is then paid by the Dean of Students office, and the student reimburses the Dean’s office at a later time. In this way, students who must travel alone at night, or students who may have had too much too drink, can get home safely even if they do not have the cost of a cab ride with them. -University of Virginia http://www.virginia.edu/uvapolice/

23. Possible Resource: • As a result of the Violence Against Women Act of 1998, Congress appropriates 10 million dollars for the Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campus Program every fiscal year. This program is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Violence Against Women Office. Information and applications for FY2003 grants will be released December 16, 2002. Application deadline for FY03 is February 18, 2003.

24. Student Safety… is not a task exclusive to the UK Police Department. The safety of UK students is an issue that requires a collaborative effort of administration, faculty and staff in order to ensure campus security.

25. Possible Safety Initiatives? What can be done to improve the safety of students, especially women students, at UK?