Public Safety Quick Facts

Here are a few quick facts about our three integrated units; yes, we talk to each other, coordinate our responses, operations, and activities. WE MAKE a DIFFERENCE and we can, and do, DO IT BETTER, especially with our excellent working relationship with Residence Life, Counseling & Student Development, Health & Recreation, and Judicial Coordinator as well as our administrative ties to Administration and Finance. These circumstances facilitate the focus on service to community, makes for a "natural fit," and serves as a model for other universities; we constantly coordinate activities and responses.

• Public Safety serves 15,000 students, of which 5,700 are residents on campus; 2,500 employees, and untold guests. For coverage area, campus acreage totals 472; campus facilities 160 (some remote from the main campus), of which 27 are residence halls, 17 Greek units (spread among six buildings); plus there are close to six miles of roadway to be patrolled and Vehicle Code enforced. We make it our job to know, be close to, and constantly interact with our community. We Maintain a satellite substation in the east campus residential area.
  
  
• Public Safety is both "service" and "outcome" oriented, strives to fulfill its mission to the university community, and contributes to a sense of well being among our constituents so that they can pursue their personal development and growth in this learning environment that is James Madison University.
  
  
• Constantly take measure of our performance through participation in the Continuing Student Survey, the Resident Student Survey, Assessment of the student cadets' personal and professional development, effectiveness of Rape Defense training.

Police

• 22 full-time sworn officer positions (as of 02/16/00), including Director and Chief; 1 part-time sworn officer position which provides for business related escorts, all academy trained and state certified; 4 full-time and 3 part-time state certified communications specialists; 45 student "Cadets" providing preventative foot patrol, personal escorts, building security (lock-up) functions. Officers are assigned to patrol, investigative, crime prevention, staff service and support details.
  
  
• Four marked conventional police patrol vehicles; an AWD personal escort van; another AWD van is available and equipped for appropriate "jump starts;" we also maintain "loaner" jumper cables for our community; in addition to the vans are an AWD command vehicle; an AWD supervisory vehicle; three military surplus light duty 4WD trucks, all are used to transport essential employees to/from campus during inclement weather emergencies
  
  
• Work closely with neighboring public safety agencies, fire, rescue, local and state police, and county sheriff facilitated by a tripartite mutual aid compact with city and county police and sheriff; integrated two-way radio communications with fire/rescue/police/medivac (Pegasus); hire outside police/deputies for special/athletic events.
  
  
• Maintain a close working relationship with the student media through the twice-weekly "Police Log;" a home page and web based bulletin board to alert our community to situations that pose a potential of an immediate risk to them in their persons; post timely advisories to the community through the Faculty/Staff bulletin board on currently occurring property crimes such as thefts from offices and labs; maintain Incident Based Reporting oriented automated record keeping and reporting; computer aided dispatching (CADS); digital recording of all radio and telephonic voice communications through the dispatch center; comprehensive home page with a multitude of links; a strong relationship with our campus ministry as an integral support resource for our "Post-traumatic Incident" procedures.
  
  
• Twelve state certified academy level instructors in-house (Forensic Investigations, Defensive Tactics, NCIC/VCIN/Emergency Communications, Breathalyzer, Firearms, Vehicle Operation Safety, Vehicle Accident Reconstruction, CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens, Rape Defense (R.A.D.S.). With enhanced professional training in specialized concentrations, plus utilizing officers demonstrating unique talents and aptitudes we have been able to successfully close a significant number of cases, many of which would not have reached a successful conclusion several years ago. Supporting this investigative strength is a comprehensively equipped in-house scientific forensic investigation lab run by certified specialists.

Safety Engineering

• One full-time safety engineer (fire/safety, OSHA, EPA, HazMat, Bloodborne Pathogen compliance.
  
  
• Provides technical assists and consultations; inspections and safety surveys of student residences, administrative, academic, and operational facilities; presents fire and safety schools; investigates accidental illness/injuries and fires; trouble shoots incidences of electronic fire alarm and fire suppression systems; and reviews buildings' plans.

Lockshop

• Three full-time locksmiths (including supervisor), one part-time office services assistant; personnel take pride in "service" posture, with immediate response to emergency requests, cutting "red tape;" provide backup to police in assisting motorists who are "locked out."
  
  
• Activities include lock core changes, lock repairs, new lock hardware installations, keys cut, safe combination changes, reviewing of buildings' plans, vehicle lock-out assists, and bike lock assists.