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Home > Safety and Policies |
 
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The College is part of the Carilion Health System (C.H.S.) and is capably served by the C.H.S. Police Department 24 hours a day. The College has also taken several other measures to keep its students safe including: I.D. card access readers at each door and security cameras on most every floor of the Reid Building.
While the College has never had a serious crime committed against one of our students on campus, it is the responsibility of every College community member to report suspicious activity to the Carilion Police Department. They can be reached at (540) 981-7911.
In addition, all students are requested to participate in New Student Orientation 2004 for additional safety and security information. The College Student Handbook also has a new section on Personal Safety and Security.
The best way for students to avoid being a victim of a crime is to take careful measures to protect themselves. If a student has any question or concerns regarding their safety or that of the College community, he/she should see the Director of Student Services (540) 985-8501. |
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General Safety
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Avoid using stairs in remote sections of a building.
Avoid working or studying alone in a building at night.
Keep personal belongings in view while in class, the library or lab.
When in an elevator, position yourself next to the controls. Having a stranger in control of the emergency stop switch could be dangerous. |
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Parking Safety
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Park in designated campus parking lots. Carilion Police patrols through parking lots help deter criminals.
Always lock your car - when you get in and when you get out.
Arrive at isolated parking lots when you know other students will be there.
Walk to class in a group or near other people – not alone.
Walk at a steady pace and be alert – appear confident and purposeful. An attacker expects a passive victim, so if you walk slowly and appear to not know where you are going, you will seem like an easy target.
Trust you instincts! If a situation, place, or someone makes you feel uncomfortable or uneasy – LEAVE!
If you think you are being followed, go to the nearest populated place.
Have your key ready before you reach your car.
If you see someone or something that looks suspicious, call Carilion Police at 981-7911 or if you are on campus and using a College phone, 8-7911.
If you are arriving on campus between the hours of 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. you can call (540) 981-7911 and ask the College security guard to be on the lookout for your return from the parking lot. |
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Exercise Safety
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Sometimes runners and walkers get lulled into a "zone” where they are so focused on their exercise they lose track of what's going on around them. This can make runners and walkers more vulnerable to attacks. Walk and run with confidence and purpose.
Before leaving home to go jogging, tell someone where you are going and when you will return. Tell friends and family of your favorite exercise routes.
Get an exercise buddy. Jogging with someone is safer and more fun too!
Exercising alone? Don"t wear headphones - they prevent you from hearing someone coming up behind you.
Make sure you can be seen – while your shoes may have reflective qualities, also consider wearing a vest with reflective tape.
Know where telephones are located along your exercise route. Or carry a cell phone.
Don’t wear jewelry or carry cash.
Avoid unpopulated areas, such as wooded trails and deserted areas.
Public parks are closed at night for a reason – do not use these areas after hours.
Exercise in familiar areas where stores and businesses are open during your exercise times. Think someone is following you? Head for an open business.
Vary your route.
Be careful if anyone in a car asks you for directions – keep at least a full arm’s length from the car.
Have your door key ready and in your hand before you reach home.
If you see someone suspicious or feel threatened, if you are off-campus call the Roanoke City Police at 911, or the Carilion Police Department at 981-7911 if you are on-campus. |
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Safety at the ATM
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Know which supermarkets or gas stations have ATMs inside. Use these whenever possible.
Look around and observe your surroundings - if the machine is poorly lit, or is in a hidden area, or someone seems to be loitering nearby, use another ATM.
Make sure that anyone waiting to use the ATM after you cannot see you entering your PIN or transaction amount.
Cancel your transaction and leave immediately if you see anything suspicious. Confirm, as soon as possible, with your financial institution that the transaction was canceled.
Lock the car doors and roll up the other windows when you use a drive-through ATM.
Do not leave your receipt behind – take it with you. Compare your ATM receipts to your monthly statement. It is the best way to guard against fraud and it makes record keeping easier for you.
If you see something that looks suspicious, call the Police Department.
Memorize your Personal Identification Number (PIN) – if you must write down your PIN, do not keep it in your wallet, purse, or on the card itself.
When selecting a PIN, avoid numbers and letters that can be easily identified or associated with you. Do not use your initials, birth date, or telephone number.
If possible, have someone accompany you when you are using an ATM.
Have your card ready – avoid having to go through your wallet or purse to find your card.
Don't count your cash while standing at the ATM – put your cash, card, and receipt away immediately.
If you are using an indoor ATM that requires your card to open the door, avoid letting anyone come in with you that you do not know.
Do not leave your keys or valuables in the car when using an ATM – and do not leave your car engine running.
If you lose your ATM card, contact the financial institution that issued your card immediately.
Protect the PIN that you use with your ATM. Do not write it on the card, and stand in front of the machine when entering the number so no one can see it. |
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Off-Campus Safety
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| Living off-campus in an apartment, house, duplex or condo can be a new experience for most students. It may be the first time you have had your "own” place. And it may be the first time you have had to think about the safety aspects that come with your home.
Use our Renter's Safety Checklist to make sure your new home is the safest it can be.
Living alone may sound peaceful, but having a roommate is safer and more fun.
Always lock your door - even when you are home, or just going to the mailbox or next door. It only takes a minute for someone to get into your home.
Close your blinds/curtains – especially at night or whenever you are not at home. Don"t give someone the opportunity to watch you and learn your routine. If you are at home alone at night, turn on lights in different rooms to give the appearance that more people are at home. If you see someone or something that looks suspicious, call the police department at 911.
If your apartment has a sliding glass door, does it have a drop bar installed? If not, place a wooden rod/broom handle/dowel cut to length in the track so it cannot be opened from the outside.
Invest in an alarm system with a motion sensor. Small window alarms can be purchased at Lowes/Home Depot.
Don’t hide a spare key. If you can think of a hiding place – then a criminal can too.
List only a first initial and last name on your mailbox.
Get to know your neighbors! Ask them to keep an eye on your place…and do the same for them. Creating a “neighborhood watch” is great crime prevention.
Do not list your address in the phone book. The phone company can handle this request.
Do not leave your name on your answering machine. And, if you are going away for holidays or the weekend, do not leave this info on your machine – you might as well leave the message, “Hi, I’m not home and won’t be back until Sunday night. That gives you three whole days to break in and steal me blind. Thanks for calling.”
Notify your landlord if you are going out of town for the holidays or on vacation.
If you are getting your car serviced, do not leave your home key with the technician. They could make a copy and get your address from the receipt.
Do not carry an identification tag with your key chain.
Get a dog. They make great alarms. Most criminals won’t risk confrontation with a dog of any size, and they give you unconditional love. Check with your landlord first though.
Engrave all valuables with your driver’s license number preceded by your state abbreviation. This will help ensure your items can be returned to you if they are stolen. Make a list of all valuables by serial number/description/brand name in case your items are stolen. Give a copy to a family member.
Some insurance companies will protect your valuables (under your parent’s homeowner policy) while you are away at school. Check to see if you are protected or if you need to get a Renter’s policy.
Do not open your door to a stranger, including door-to-door salesmen, maintenance persons you don’t know, security officers, etc. Verbally answering through the closed, locked door lets them know the apartment is not empty.
If the stranger is wearing a uniform, make them show you their identification. Have them hold it up to your door’s peephole. If in doubt, have them wait outside while you call their company for verification.
If a stranger asks to use your phone, do not let them inside. Ask for the number, lock your door, and place the call for them. |
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Renter's Safety Checklist
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Talk with your landlord/property manager about things that can improve the safety of your unit. Together, you can make your unit safer for you and, in the long run, more valuable to your landlord.
Were all locks changed after the last tenant left, prior to your moving in?
Does your unit have a deadbolt?
If the door has a window, is the lock a double-cylinder lock? (Meaning it can only be locked or unlocked with a key, not by simply turning the bolt if someone were to break the window and stick their arm in to unlock the door.) If it is a double-cylinder lock, do not leave a key in the lock - or where it could be obtained by someone sticking their arm through the broken window?
Who has access to master keys, the key to your unit, etc?
If repairs are needed, will they be scheduled while you are home? Or will the landlord let the repairperson in if you are not home? Are all repairpersons bonded? (Meaning the company they work for has insurance and, in most cases, has done a criminal background check on their employees.)
If your front door does not have a peephole, can one be installed?
If your unit has a sliding glass door, make sure it has a drop bar or get a broom handle or thick wooden dowel cut to length to prevent the door from being forced open.
Can you have a security system professionally installed if there isn't already one? If so, will the landlord request the security code? If yes, who will have access to it?
What normal security is provided by the complex/owner? Are any special considerations made during the holidays when most students go home?
If bushes/shrubs are as tall as the windows, can they be trimmed so someone is not able to hide behind them?
Are smoke detectors installed and working properly? Put in new batteries as soon as possible, even if they are working, and remember to change them every six months.
Are all exterior doors and locking devices in good working order so, in the event of a fire, you can exit quickly?
Is the apartment number properly posted?
Is there adequate lighting around your unit and in the parking lot?
Can a motion-sensor light be installed at the side of your unit if there is not enough current lighting at night?
Are all the walkways, entrances, hallways, stairways, laundry rooms and storage areas well lighted 24 hours a day?
Are the fire stairs locked from the stairwell side above the ground floor, so you can exit in case of a fire, but no one can enter?
Are the mailboxes equipped with quality locks and positioned in a well-traveled area? |
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Holiday Safety
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Statistics show that a burglary occurs every ten seconds, and if the burglar chooses your home instead of the one next door, or down the block, you may have helped invite them there.
To protect yourself, and your belongings, make your home look occupied while you are away. Purchasing good locks, lights and an alarm system are good investments in your safety.
Leave a radio set to a talk show to give the impression that someone is home.
Purchase a timer at Lowes/Home Depot or a hardware store for your lights, radio and television. Set the timers to turn on lights and radio/TV during the evening to give the appearance that someone is home.
Don't forget to have mail and newspaper delivery stopped. Nothing says "no one"s home” better than a stack of old newspapers in the driveway.
If your neighbors (or someone on the block) will be home while you are away, ask them to keep an eye on your place and call the police if anything looks suspicious. And do the same for them while they are away. Nothing deters crime better than an aware neighborhood.
Take your valuables with you - leave your computer in the trunk while you are at your parents.
Double-check all window and door locks before leaving.
Do not have your answering machine message say you are out of town and when you will be returning.
Ask your landlord/management company what security measures will be taken during the holidays.
Also ask your landlord what precautions you should take in case of freeze warnings while you are gone. Leave water dripping in each faucet if you are afraid the pipes will freeze.
Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
Sometimes criminals sometimes pose as couriers delivering gifts. Be cautious if strangers come to the door. Ask for identification if you are unsure of whether the courier is legitimate.
Individuals soliciting money by going door-to-door should be carefully screened. Ask them for identification as well. If you aren’t satisfied that the solicitor is genuine, ask them to leave information and tell them you will consider their requests after the holidays.
Load everything up, fill your gas tank, drive safely home, and have a great holiday. |
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Self Defense Tips
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SELF DEFENSE TIPS
Fight or flight: These are the two options you have when faced with an attacker.
What to do if faced with an attacker? The decision is yours. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers. If you decide to fight back, you must be quick, determined and effective.
Target the eyes and groin. Keys, pens and pencils can be jabbed into the eyes, face or neck.
Smash a lighted cigarette in their face.
Aim your fist or palm of your hand in a fast, upward motion to the attacker's nose.
Jab the attacker"s eyes with your fingers.
When walking alone, make sure you have some type of deterrent device and be ready to use it if needed. Some examples are:
Umbrella: Use both hands to make quick jabbing motions to the eyes, neck and groin.
Plastic Lemon: It will squirt about 15 feet. Aim for the eyes; momentary blindness may provide time for escape.
Sharp pointed items: Keys, pens, and pencils can be scraped across the face and eyes or jabbed into the eyes, face or neck.
If you choose to carry personal defense items like mace, pepper spray or a stun gun, make sure you know how to use the defense items. |
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