Reporting a Crime
If you become the victim and/or witness to a crime, you should immediately report it to the University Police. The sooner crime is reported, the better the chances of the police being able to solve the crime, apprehend the suspect, and recover any property that may have been taken.
Crimes can be reported by calling the University Police at 837-9300 (911 for emergencies); by going to the Police Department at the Midtown Campus, or by using the emergency phones on campus. An officer will be dispatched to your location to begin an investigation of the crime. The officer will want to know some basic information about you as the complainant and the incident you are reporting. You may be asked to give a signed statement attesting to the facts of the incident.
Police generally take the information you can give them and develop any other information they can through investigation and attempt to solve the crime. You are a vital link to the solution of crime through your observation and eyewitness account. You can also assist in the recovery of stolen property by ensuring that you mark your property with some type of an identifier and maintain records of serial and model numbers. The police can help you recover stolen items, if you get involved with our Operation Identification program.
Confidential Reporting Procedures
If you are victimized by crime and do not want to pursue action within the University system or the criminal justice system, you may still want to consider making a confidential report. With your permission, the Chief of Police or a designee of the University Police Department can file a report on the details of the incident without revealing your identity. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with your wish to keep a matter confidential, while taking steps to ensure the future safety of yourself and others. With such information, the University can keep an accurate record of the number of incidents involving our community, determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method, or assailant, and alert the campus community to potential danger. Reports filed in this manner are counted and disclosed in the annual statistics for the institution. Pastoral and professional counselors may also inform their clients to make voluntary, confidential crime reports.
A report form may be completed online, turned into the University Police Department or submitted via email. The individual may remain anonymous if they wish, all information is confidential and protected. This program allows the campus community to get involved with crime prevention without intimidation or worrying about what will happen if they report an individual or group.