Security Information and Safety Report

The El Centro College Police Department provides several public safety services to ensure the security of the college and maintain a positive academic environment. Located in the basement of Building A (Room A047), the Police Department is staffed by a director, a lieutenant, eleven full-time officers and four part-time officers. All officers receive the same training as a municipal police officer or county deputy sheriff and are fully vested with law enforcement powers and responsibilities.

Dial 911 from any on-campus phone, or 214-860-4290 from any outside line (such as a cell phone) for any police service including emergencies on campus. For extreme emergency situations, red emergency boxes are also located near the elevators on each floor of each building and near the main entrances outside each building. Simply press on the call button for direct contact with campus police. For administrative inquiries to college police, please call 214-860-2134.

Our officers are responsible for a full range of services, including crime reports, investigations, medical emergency assistance, fire emergencies, enforcement of laws regulating alcohol, controlled substances, weapons and all other incidents requiring police assistance. Our personnel are available 24 hours a day to assist you.

The key to a successful crime prevention program is an informed public. El Centro College is committed to informing you in a timely fashion of any criminal activity or security problems on campus which may pose a reasonable threat to your physical safety. Such information is normally distributed to students through the student newspaper, the student campus netmail, and in-house crime information bulletins. Staff members are informed through El Centro's employee newsletter, Nine Stories , and campus wide e-mail messages.

Upon request, information on safety and security is also provided to students, faculty and staff through films and seminars presented by college police officers.

Effective crime prevention programs include your involvement. You are encouraged to be alert and security-conscious. All suspicious activity or behavior should be reported to college police immediately.

Our campus is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays during normal operation. The campus is closed during most holiday periods.

College police has the right to ask students or employees to present their IDs if there is a question about authorization to be in a specific location on campus.

Employees who need access to their work area when the campus is closed should contact college police and notify them where they will be and how long they will be there. Instructors or other staff members allowing students to use campus facilities during closed hours are responsible for supervising those students and are required to be present during activities.

Office keys are provided to individual staff members based on need by their appropriate supervisor. Lost keys must be reported immediately to one's supervisor, Facility Services and College Police.

No campus property may be removed without written permission from the department chairperson or area supervisor.

Complying with the Higher Education Amendment of 1992 (Public Law 102-325), generally referred to as the Sexual Assault Victim's Bill of Rights, El Centro seeks to promote the reporting of all sex crime violations and to outline the procedures in reporting all alleged violations. Thus, you must be informed of the following violations as defined by law:

SEXUAL ASSAULT: Generally defined as attempted or actual unwanted sexual activity (Sandier 1943).

FORCIBLE and NON-FORCIBLE SEX OFFENSES: A forcible sex offense is "any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly and/or against that persons will where the victim is incapable of giving consent, and includes forcible rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object and forcible fondling." A nonforcible sex offense is an act of "unlawful, non-forcible sexual intercourse and includes incest and statutory rape." Depending on the circumstance, rape could be in either category.

In instances where sexual assault is alleged, the victim is strongly encouraged to report the incident to any of the following offices:

By contacting any of these offices, the victim will be given specific information in bringing formal charges against the accused. The procedures for on-campus disciplinary action are the same as those outlined in the Student Code of Conduct for any other alleged violations. Students have the option of pursuing their allegations through either or both the student Code of Conduct and/or Criminal Justice system. This does not constitute "double jeopardy" (two judicial proceedings for one offense).

Depending upon the severity of the incident, those persons found guilty of a sex crime would be subject to a range of penalties outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. In addition, if an incident is referred to the criminal courts, and if the accused is found guilty, the typical range of sanctions available may also be imposed. Both the accused and accuser are entitled to have others present during the campus disciplinary hearing. The outcome of the hearing will be made available to the accused and accuser.

Students who are victims of sex crimes are eligible for and encouraged to take advantage of the services offered by the Counseling Center and Health Center located on campus. Referrals to other community support services will be made when appropriate.

. the illegal possession, use, sale or purchase of drugs, narcotics, or hallucinogens on or off campus.

El Centro's Health Center and Counseling Center offer assistance in a personal and confidential setting to those with substance abuse problems or other related concerns. El Centro provides individual assessment and referral to both on- and off-campus resources. Visit or contact the following offices for more information: