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Campus Safety & Security Bulletin

The Safety and Security Department is responsible for campus safety and operates on a 24 hours a day seven days a week schedule. Security Officers are responsible for enforcing federal, state and local laws, as well as College policies and regulations. Although Security Officers do not make arrests, the Department works closely with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in investigating and reporting criminal activity on our campus. The department will make timely reports to the campus community of incidents that represent a threat to students and employees.

Safety and Security Officers conduct regular foot, bicycle and patrols of all campus buildings, grounds and parking areas.

Access to the residence halls is controlled either by locked entrance doors or the card access system. Residence halls are patrolled and monitored 24 hours a day by Security Officers or Resident Advisors. All other campus facilities are locked and unlocked daily according to established schedules.

Campus Escort Service

The Safety and Security Department offers a campus escort service available for on-campus use by all students, faculty, staff and visitors. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To use the escort service, call the Safety and Security Department at extension 8025 or from any blue light or courtesy phone. A Security Officer or student escort will be dispatched to your location.

Crime Prevention

Crime prevention is the responsibility of all members of the St. John Fisher College community. In order to develop crime prevention awareness within the College community, the Safety and Security Department, the Office of Residential Life and the Monroe County Sheriff provide crime prevention information and training by means of residence hall floor meeting, department briefings, campus newspaper articles, safety brochures, flyers and electronic mail.

Reporting Criminal Activity

Students, faculty, staff and visitors are urged to report all campus criminal activity and emergencies immediately to the Safety and Security Department who will in turn contact the local law enforcement and emergency services as needed. Law Enforcement and emergency services may be contacted directly if necessary; however, we ask that Safety and Security be also notified as soon as possible. Security Officers are required to respond, investigate and document all campus criminal activity and emergencies. In keeping with New York State Law, violent felony offenses reported to the college will automatically be reported to law enforcement authorities.

Campus Sexual Assault Program

St. John Fisher College fully supports and enforces all local laws governing rape and sexual assault. It is the responsibility of all members of the college community to be aware of and adhere to these laws. The college provides educational programs and information on rape and sexual assault awareness and prevention. For the future safety of the victim and the college community, sex offenses should be reported to someone immediately.

The Wetterling Act

The Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act set the requirements for sexual offender registration and community notification. The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000 provides for the tracking of convicted sex offenders, already required to register in a State, to provide notice of each institution of higher education in the State at which that person is employed, carries on a vocation, or is a student. This registration is to be made available to law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction where the institutions of higher education are located. Institutions of higher education are required to issue a statement advising the campus community where law enforcement agency information provided by the State concerning registered sex offenders, may be obtained.

Persons seeking to obtain sex offender registration information may contact the Monroe county Sheriffs Office at the following web site address: monroecountysheriff.info (click on the Neighborhoods link and choose sex offenders).

You may obtain information on high level risk (level 3) registered sex offenders by visiting the New York Department of Criminal Justices’ Sex Offender Registry at the following web site: criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor. For more information, you can contact the NY DCJS Sex Offender Registry at (518) 457-6236.

Important Steps to Take:

• Get help! Tell the first person you meet that you need help.
• Call Safety and Security to report the incident. Security personnel must contact the police.
• Support is available through the Counseling Center.
• Ask someone to accompany you to the hospital.
• Do not destroy clothes, douche or bath. This will destroy evidence.

Even if you decide not to report the rape, it is important to get medical help as soon as possible.

St. John Fisher College will provide assistance and comfort to a victim of a sex offense. This includes changing the academic and living situation of the victim after a sex offense, if changes are requested and are reasonably available.

College policy allows for internal action, even if the victim does not file criminal charges. In keeping with New York State Law, violent felony offenses reported to the college will automatically be reported to law enforcement authorities. The College has responsibility to its own community and the victim when the code of behavior and/or regulations are violated. If the victim chooses to file charges against the accused through the college judicial system, both the accuser and the accused are entitled to have others present during a disciplinary hearing and both the accuser and the accused will be informed of the outcome of any such hearing.

Bias Related Crime

Bias related crime is a serious matter, and a violation of St. John Fisher College policy. Both state and federal laws specially define hate crimes and punish them severely.

New York State's Hate Crimes Act of 2000 (Penal Law, Section 485) significantly increases the criminal penalties for most significant crimes, including criminal mischief, criminal trespass, harassment, stalking, assault, arson, robbery, burglary, stalking, rape, criminal sexual assault, and others, if the crime was also a "hate crime." A "hate crime" occurs where the victim was selected on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, old age, disability or sexual orientation. For example, the maximum sentence for a first conviction of a non-violent felony increases from 3 to 6 years, if the victim was selected based on his religion.

Other New York laws define specific crimes with respect to bias. In particular, under the New York Civil Rights Law (Section 40-c) a person or entity that commits the crime of ordinary harassment is guilty of a class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year in jail), if the victim was harassed because of his or her race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation or disability.

Similarly, the crimes of aggravated harassment in the first and second degrees (Penal Law Section 240) are committed when the harassment occurred because of a belief or perception about the victim's race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation. First degree aggravated harassment is a felony, punishable with imprisonment for a year, even for a first offense.

The Federal Sentencing Guidelines (18 USC Appendix 3A1.1), applicable to those who commit federal crimes, also provide for significantly increased prison terms for crimes if they are perpetrated on people or their property because of the victim's race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

Congress has also defined special hate-based crimes in the Federal criminal code (18 USC Sections 245, 247). It is a federal offense to use force or the threat of force to willfully injure, intimidate or interfere with someone (or a class of people) from exercising or enjoying certain federal rights, such as voting, running for office, or applying for a federal job. Those rights include enjoying the benefits of any program or activity receiving Federal assistance. St. John Fisher College is a recipient of Federal financial assistance. It is also a federal offense to intimidate someone from participating, without discrimination on account of race, color, religion or national origin, in any of those federally protected rights or benefits. Federal law also makes it a crime to deface, damage or destroy religious places because of their religious character or because of the race, color or ethnic characteristics of anyone associated with that property. These hate-based federal crimes can all result in fines and up to a year of imprisonment, and if dangerous weapons, injuries, sexual abuse, kidnapping, death or other violent elements are involved, prison sentences can be much longer, and punishment can even include the federal death penalty.

Personal Safety Tips

Walking:

• Walk in pairs, do not walk alone
• Walk in lighted areas
• Plan your route
• Use the designated, lighted walkways
• Tell someone your destination and expected arrival and return time
• Do not carry large amounts of cash
• Do not stop for strangers
• Do not hitchhike

Driving:

• Do not drink and drive nor get into a vehicle operated by someone who has been drinking
• Know your driver and passengers
• Lock your doors
• Lock your unattended vehicle
• Do not leave valuables in the vehicle or within sight
• Park in designated lighted areas
• Check your vehicle frequently, if left for long periods
• Report all accidents or damage to the Safety and Security Department

In Residence Halls:

• Keep doors and windows locked
• Secure valuables out of sight
• Do not prop doors open or leave doors open
• Know your neighbors
• Know the location of the nearest phone
• Report suspicious people or events to the Safety and Security Department
• Do not loan your keys to anyone
• Report lost keys immediately to Residence Life and the Safety and Security Department
• Do not loan your credit cards or pin numbers to anyone

Drugs and Alcohol on Campus

Under no circumstances may illegal drugs be possessed, used distributed, bought, sold or manufactured on the St. John Fisher College campus.

St. John Fisher College complies with the New York State Alcohol Beverage Control Law. In addition, the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on the campus and in all the buildings of the college with the exception of residence rooms for students 21 years of age or older. With approval, from college administrators, alcoholic beverages may be served at specific scheduled functions.

A detailed description of the college policy on drug and alcohol abuse is in the Student Handbook.