Remember Campus Police are REAL police although you may hear law enforcement on your campus referred to as public safety, police department, or campus police department. The law enforcement personnel in each the USG’s 31 police departments certified by Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council which means they completed a rigorous 408 hour law enforcement academy training at a state certified police academy. Each department is led by a Chief who oversees the various members of the public safety department and provides direction to the campus regarding safety/ security issues. The campus police are responsible for not only enforcing federal, state, and local laws but they also must adhere to federal reporting requirements for campus based crime activity.
Considered the heart of the communications division of campus public safety, emergency dispatchers are traditionally the first lines of communication when it comes to contacting public safety for help or general assistance. All dispatchers are certified by Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and have on the job training in handling emergency telephone phones and radio communications.
Hurricanes? Earthquakes? Flooding? All of these natural disasters are headed by campus emergency management personnel to assure USG institutions stay safe and secure during hectic times.
Quick Facts: 62 employees; which includes 35 Police Officers, 12 Communications Officers, 4 Security Officers, 4 Parking Enforcement Personnel, 1 Risk Management Director, and 1 Environmental Health & Safety Coordinator.
Middle Georgia State University (MGA) is the result of a 2013 consolidation between Macon State College and Middle Georgia College. Fast forwarding to the present the university has five traditional campuses with two satellite airport campuses spread over more than 200 miles of the central Georgia region. The mascot for MGA is the “Knights”, which the police department feels is a wonderful example of a standard to use as a guide for serving and protecting the campus community. MGA’s police officers cover a lot of ground – and also a lot of sky! As the home to Georgia’s only 4-year public School of Aviation, MGA Police work through FAA regulations to secure an aviation fleet composed of 23 fixed-wing aircraft and six helicopters.
Officers assigned to traditional campuses perform customary duties as any other USG officer and can also be found serving sister institutions when needed. In the last 24 months MGA police has had the honor of assisting numerous USG Police Departments including Georgia Tech, Georgia Southwestern, Georgia Southern, and Fort Valley to name a few. In addition to the tasks normally associated with securing university campuses, MGA Police will soon be working with the Board of Regents Police to host statewide trainings at our newly-remodeled headquarters on the Macon campus. It will feature a BOR classroom that can be transformed into an emergency operations center when needed. The project is set to be complete by Fall 2018.
This federal legislation was originally signed into law in 1990 and was known at the time as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act. Throughout the years the law has undergone several amendments to include a renaming. However, the purpose behind the legislation has remained constant: to require colleges and universities across the United States to publicly disclose information about crime on their campuses and in the surrounding areas. The United States Department of Education requires institutions to publish an Annual Campus Security Report on October 1st each year. The Annual Campus Security Report provides crime statistics up to three years prior in specific campus crime related categories. For further information on the history of The Clery Act and the type of information campuses must disclose, visit The Clery Center for Security on Campus
In 1994, the United States Congress enacted the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a comprehensive legislative package focused on violence against women. VAWA recognized the devastating consequences that violence has on women, families, and society as a whole. VAWA also acknowledged that violence against women requires specialized responses to address unique barriers that prevent victims from seeking assistance from the justice system. The U.S. Congress reauthorized VAWA in 2000, 2005, and 2013 in order to continue the movement in preventing and responding to violent acts against women.
At some of the University System of Georgia institutions you are required you to register your car in order to park on campus as a commuter or a resident student. Be sure to check with your public safety department for updated car registration information so you can avoid costly parking tickets.
Biking to and from class? Your public safety department may require you to register your bicycle in order to ride or rack it on campus.
Always remove valuable items from plain view in a vehicle and lock the vehicle upon exiting. Invest in a bicycle lock to secure your bicycle to designated bike racks. Lock your dorm room upon exiting and never give your dorm room code or key to anyone else. You love your computer and cell phone? So do thieves! Record the serial numbers on your computers, IPads, and other valuables and take photos of each item. In addition, turn on tracking on your cell phones and computers so you can locate them quickly if they are lost or missing.
Beaware of where you are and who is around you. Never let anyone you’re unfamiliar with into your residence hall or dorm room. Going to an off campus event? Make sure to tell friends of your plans or bring them with you. The buddy system is always better than venturing alone. Getting out of class late or late evening study session at the campus library? Feel free to contact your public safety department for an escort to your vehicle or to your dorm if you feel uncomfortable.
As a member of the campus community take an active part in keeping your campus safe. Report any suspicious activity promptly to your campus police department.
What you should do to be safe and secure before going off to college.
A few friendly reminders to keep yourself safe while away at college.
Kitestring checks up on you when you’re out and alerts your friends if you don’t respond.
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Connect with your friends to stay close, stay safe and prevent violence before it happens.
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