Safe and Secure
A Message from Chief Jeff McCracken, Director of Public Safety
| The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Safe and secure--At a time when the country and its educational institutions are feeling the pinch of a challenging economy, the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety remains committed to the creation and maintenance of an environment where students, employees, and visitors to our campus can feel safe as they enjoy our progressive, vital community.MORE}
Introduction to Report -- The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act [ 20 U.S.C. 1092(f) ] requires institutions of higher education to produce and distribute an annual report containing information on their campus crime statistics and campus security policies.{MORE}
Reporting Crime and Other Emergencies--In an emergency, dial 911. Public Safety responds to every campus 911 call, even if the caller hangs up without saying anything. (If you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line and tell the telecommunicator it was an error. This will save the police an unnecessary trip.) Please note that it doesn’t matter if you call 911 from a landline or a cell phone. {MORE}
Security and Access to Campus Facilities--Maintaining building security is a major priority of the University to protect individuals living on campus and those who live elsewhere and come to campus to use University facilities. {MORE}
Information about Campus Law Enforcement--N.C. General Statute 116-40.5 grants the Board of Trustees of any constituent institution of The University of North Carolina the authority to establish a campus law enforcement agency and employ campus police officers; it also provides that “ the territorial jurisdiction of a campus police officer shall include all property owned or leased to the institution employing the campus police officer and that portion of any public road or highway passing through such property or immediately adjoining it, wherever located.” {MORE}
Security and Crime Prevention Programs--University police services center on one primary concern: to protect and serve all who come to campus. Information is an important component in the continuing effort to increase campus safety by encouraging members of the campus community to be responsible for their own security and the security of others. There are many sources of safety and security information on the Carolina campus. {MORE}
Crime Statistics and Monitoring of Criminal Activity at Off-Campus Student Organizations--Statistics concerning the occurrence on campus, in or on noncampus buildings or property, and on public property during the most recent calendar year, and during the 2 preceding calendar years for which data are available{MORE}
Sex Offender Registry--In accordance with the “Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act” of 2000, which amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act, the Jeanne Clery Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is providing a link to the North Carolina Department of Justice sex offender registry. {MORE}
Sexual Assault -- Programs and Procedures--The Office of the Dean of Students (DOS) and Counseling and Wellness Services, along with various departments and organizations across campus, offer community education programs for students about sexual assault and related issues. {MORE}
Additional Safety Information: Pedestrian
Safety Committee
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Beginning of Articles:
A Message from Chief Jeff McCracken, Director of Public Safety
At a time when the country and its educational institutions are feeling the pinch of a challenging economy, the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety remains committed to the creation and maintenance of an environment where students, employees, and visitors to our campus can feel safe as they enjoy our progressive, vital community. Through our philosophy of Community Oriented Policing (C.O.P.), we strive to employ professionalism, problem solving, and innovative strategies to remain one of the premier public safety agencies in the nation.
Evidence of this ongoing commitment is reflected in such distinctions as our accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA). Previously accredited in 1995, 2000, 2003, and 2006, the department on each occasion has had to meet hundreds of rigorously-documented law enforcement standards to earn the recognition, and a review by CALEA assessors earlier this year has yielded a highly favorable review that we feel confident will culminate in yet another reaccreditation.
We are not complacent in our competence, however. We continue to consider and employ new programs and innovative strategies which reflect our emphasis on decreasing campus crimes and the fear of campus crime. Even as our nation and its hallowed institutions of higher learning tighten our belts and deal head-on with financial constraints, our police officers continue to meet the challenges of the vital and rapidly-changing university environment through adherence to Community Oriented Policing.
An example of progressive technologies which keep us ahead of the curve is reflected in the use of the SpeedSentry radar system, which is used to help monitor motorists’ different rates of speed on campus and thus enhance pedestrian safety on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. The mobile, pole-mounted device assists the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Unit (TAPS) of UNC-Chapel Hill Police’s Community Response Team gather information regarding traffic flow on different campus roadways. This new technology complements the 2007 implementation of Lidar to monitor individual vehicles’ speeds isolated from within a stream of traffic. Unlike RADAR which relies on Doppler shifts to directly measure speed, police Lidar relies on laser technology to identify violators and calculate speed, and it is the latest advancement in police speed enforcement.
But we need your help in achieving and maintaining our high standards of excellence. Please familiarize yourself with the following security provisions and partner with us at the Department of Public Safety to help create a safe environment at UNC-Chapel Hill:
New initiatives by the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety over the past few years have included implementation of a Community Response Unit comprised of our dedicated Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Unit, bike patrol officers, and our specialized K9 Unit. Public Safety’s K9 Unit is trained in explosives odor detection and tracking, a black Labrador Retriever named “Buddy,” helps with sweeps of large-scale athletic events and other high-profile events on the campus. As a member of the state’s K9 Task Force, “Buddy” has recently been employed in operations around the state, including a sweep of the advance motorcade for a visit by the US President.
All of these teams are highly-visible as a constant presence out in the university community, whether on patrols, teaching self-defense classes, presenting personal security tips at campus recreation fairs, or merely interacting with students and employees. Examples of successful interaction with the campus community include a collaboration with UNC-Chapel Hill Recreation to stage a bike safety rodeo on southern campus as part of the popular Kids Rock recreation series. Dozens of parents and children brought bicycles, learned more about bike safety, participated in an obstacle course challenge, learned about repair and maintenance, and qualified for giveaways. Similar presence was offered through a Baity Hill Community Fair, Safe-tober Street Fair (offered in October in cooperation with UNC-Chapel Hill Student Housing and Residential Life) and at regularly scheduled events like our bi-annual Yield 2 Heels pedestrian safety awareness programs (in cooperation with the Governor’s Highway Safety Research Center), CTOPS freshman orientation programs, and numerous other festivities and community fairs.
Officers from each and every patrol squad are meeting with campus entities from departments to residence halls to enhance the campus community's understanding of how to react in the case of a violent event. Trained to present valuable information in an engaging fashion and armed with the instructional video "Shots Fired--When Lightning Strikes," officers are hoping to relay the information through a minimum of 50 presentations this year, and they're already well on their way.
Produced by the Center for Personal Protection and Safety, the instructional DVD and training program empowers people with knowledge and strategies for preventing and surviving an active shooter situation like those which have occurred at far too many academic institutions in recent years.
While we are constantly looking to improve our services to the campus community, we’re also depending on you to take measures like those that follow to become an active participant in the effort to reduce and eliminate crime on campus:
We also find ourselves striving to stay ahead of a university which is constantly evolving and progressing – availing ourselves of the latest technologies and programs to serve you better. In the past few years, communications improvements have brought about such pioneering programs as the online "Silent Witness" feature, through which you can confidentially provide information to UNC-Chapel Hill Public Safety in the interest of your own safety and the security of the campus community at large.
In the interest of agency interoperability, the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety has aligned itself with other area agencies through mutual aid agreements and such tangible tools as an 800-megaherz communication system. The system allows for a more cohesive communications strategy with other Orange County emergency and law enforcement agencies.
A recent upgrade to our 911 communications center helps to facilitate the use of the progressive communication system, and a refurbishing of our in-house Emergency Operation Center helps us to stage an off-site incident command center in the case of a single or multi-agency response to campus emergencies or large scale operations.
Another example of cooperative efforts with other agencies is the inclusion of new areas surrounding and adjacent to the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in our expanded jurisdiction agreement with Town of Chapel Hill Police. Though sections of Franklin and Rosemary Streets to the north and west of campus still fall within the primary jurisdiction of Chapel Hill Police, UNC-Chapel Hill officers en route to off-campus facilities are now able to respond to any suspicious, criminal, or emergency issues with full authority in those areas. Also, Granville Towers housing facilities now fall within the primary jurisdiction of UNC-Chapel Hill Public Safety Police patrols.
We continue to work with the campus Emergency Warning Committee to create new avenues for communicating emergency information. Through the Alert Carolina initiative launched last year, we’re helping to educate the campus about what to do in an emergency and where to find safety-related resources. In addition to our well-established means of communication, emergency sirens and text messaging are new tools for ensuring that everyone is aware and alert to campus emergencies such as an armed and dangerous person on campus, a major chemical spill or hazard, or a tornado sighting. Everyone is encouraged to visit the website, http://alertcarolina.unc.edu a go-to place for information about campus safety before, during, and after an emergency. I also encourage students to sign up for text messaging by registering their cell phones through links on the Alert Carolina website.
While you’re registering your cell phone for Alert Carolina text messaging, consider the benefits of UNC Mobile’s Rave Guardian features. Rave Guardian is like a blue light police call box that you control. When you travel on campus, you call a toll free number, enter the length of time anticipated to reach your destination and leave a voice message. If the timer expires and you have not deactivated Rave Guardian, our 911 dispatchers receive an alert. Another Rave Guardian safety feature allows you to “panic call” us and provide us with the same information immediately.
Our Police officers strive to be models of professionalism. I currently serve as President of the North Carolina Association of Campus Law Enforcement Agencies (NCACLEA), and I am serving on the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Association of Police Executives. Serving under Lieutenant Colonel George Hare our Deputy Director, UNC-Chapel Hill graduate Matthew Ferguson has now risen to the rank of Patrol Captain, and we recently appointed fellow UNC-Chapel Hill graduate Durham Police Department alum Connie Bullock as Support Services Captain. Finally, Public Safety recently welcomed Ron Campbell to its staff as Emergency Management Coordinator. Mr. Campbell has a distinguished career in the industry, working as Area 10 Coordinator for North Carolina Emergency Management and, over the last six years, Emergency Coordinator for Guilford County Emergency Management.
Looking toward the future, we will continue to meet the challenge of this current economy head-on by providing a lean, efficient, and enterprising approach to law enforcement. I hope that the information contained herein helps you to understand a bit more about our goals, the philosophy of Community Oriented Policing, and how you can partner with us in our own mission…
...Protecting North Carolina's future!
Chief Jeff McCracken,
Director of Public Safety
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act [ 20 U.S.C. 1092(f) ] requires institutions of higher education to produce and distribute an annual report containing information on their campus crime statistics and campus security policies. In accordance with that requirement, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has prepared this campus security report. It is distributed annually to all students and employees via an email notice containing a link to this electronic version of the report. In addition, any applicant for admission or employment may receive a copy on request.
The following information is organized with reference to the requirements of each section of the statute. Additional information concerning safety and security appears at the end of this report.
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(1)(A)
A statement of current campus policies regarding procedures and facilities for students and others to report criminal actions or other emergencies occurring on campus and policies concerning the institution’s response to such reports.
In an emergency, dial 911. Public Safety responds to every campus 911 call, even if the caller hangs up without saying anything. (If you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line and tell the telecommunicator it was an error. This will save the police an unnecessary trip.) Please note that it doesn’t matter if you call 911 from a landline or a cell phone.
If you're outside, use one of the many tall black emergency call boxes located on campus. At night you can locate them by the blue light on top. Call boxes have direct lines to the Department of Public Safety. Just push the button to be directly connected to Public Safety and speak into the speaker. For routine calls, telephone 962-8100. For more information about call boxes, see below.
To report crimes confidentially by computer, use the Silent Witness program discussed below.
Crimes occurring off-campus within the city limits should be reported to the town police. In an emergency, dial 911. For routine calls telephone Chapel Hill Police at 968-2760 and Carrboro Police at 918-7397.
Crimes occurring outside the city limits should be reported to the county sheriff's department. In Orange County, call 911 for an emergency. For routine calls telephone the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 942-6300.
Crimes occurring on campus should be reported to the Department of Public Safety. Accurate and prompt reports allow the police investigative process to function effectively. In addition to making a report in person at the Department of Public Safety or reporting by telephone, members of the campus community may also communicate via the emergency call box system or online through the Silent Witness program.
Call Boxes—Not Just for Emergencies
(Call Box Map Link) http://www.maps.unc.edu/CampusMaps/PdfMaps/CallBoxMap.pdf
There are 100 direct-line call boxes located across the campus and 100 in University parking decks to make assistance convenient and easy to find. Standing tall and prominently, these nine-foot “blue-light” fixtures reflect the University’s commitment to a greater level of personal security for all students and employees.
Call boxes require only the push of a button to contact the Department of Public Safety through a speakerphone. A bright strobe light on the top of the call box is set off when the button is pushed, helping police quickly locate the caller. If you are unable to speak or need to seek safer shelter, there are indicators in place to let police dispatchers know which call box has been activated. Police officers will respond quickly any time a call box is activated, whether you speak into the speaker or not. A quick call can make the difference in solving or even preventing a crime. In addition to using the call box to report emergencies, members of the campus community should also use them to report simple suspicious activities which may warrant immediate police attention.
For information on exact locations of campus call boxes, access the call box map at the link above. Please study the locations that lie along your regular routes of campus travel so you will know how to find the closest call box in an emergency.
Electric Systems and the University's Telecommunications Department provide installation and regular spot-check maintenance of the call boxes. As the campus changes and grows, the number of call boxes will continue to increase. Public Safety and Telecommunications are open to suggestions for possible future sites.
For more information or to arrange a call box demonstration, call the Crime Prevention Officer at 966-3230. To report any kind of problem relative to the operation or appearance of a University Call Box, call Electric Systems at 962-8394.
Silent Witness
Confidential reports about campus crimes can be sent to the Department of Public Safety electronically through the Silent Witness program.
The web-based report form can be accessed via Public Safety's homepage at http://www.dps.unc.edu . Before a report can be submitted, the user must provide three pieces of information: the type of crime involved; the general location of the crime (campus building, parking lot, etc.); and a more specific location for the crime. The form also has spaces for date, time and description of the crime as well as the suspect's name, address and nicknames, if known. Pull-down menus allow the user to construct a description of the suspect by clicking on choices from lists of characteristics. There is also an area provided for more details, such as scars and clothing.
After filling in as much information as possible, the user clicks on "Submit Information to UNC-CH Police" and the report is e-mailed to Public Safety's Investigations Division, identified only by a unique, randomly generated number. The same number is displayed for the sender, who can print it from the web browser. If the sender wants to contact Public Safety again about the same crime, he or she can reference the number of the previous report so the Investigations Division can add the new information to the file.
The police follow up each Silent Witness report as appropriate, based upon the information received, to determine if a reported incident represents an on-going threat to the campus community. If the investigating officer determines that the reported incident occurred and that it has not previously been reported, the officer will complete an incident report, and the crime will be included in UNC-Chapel Hill police crime statistics and, if applicable, the crime statistics recorded in the University's annual campus security report.
At present the University neither encourages nor discourages pastoral or professional counselors' informing the persons they counsel of the availability of the Silent Witness program as a crime-reporting option.
Additional Reporting Options for Victims of Sexual Assault
Students who are victims of a sexual assault that occurs on campus, and who do not wish an investigation of the assault to be conducted, may file a “blind report” (for statistical purposes and potential later follow-up) with the Dean of Students Office, Academic Advising, Campus Health Services, Carolina Women’s Center, or the LGBTQ Center. Students can also access blind report forms at the Student Recreation Center and Ram’s Head Recreation Center.
If a victim seeks medical assistance, Campus Health Service or hospital personnel can, at the victim's request, call in the police. If a victim first reports the assault to police officials, they can transport the victim to medical assistance. Sexual assault is a crime, and the victim of a sexual assault always has the right to report it to the police. A victim who wishes to report a sexual assault to police should call 911, and the appropriate agency will conduct an investigation. In an non-emergency, agencies in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area can be contacted at the following numbers:
If a victim needs assistance in reporting a sexual assault to local law enforcement authorities, various University agencies can help. If a student has been sexually assaulted outside the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, the University police, on request, will help the victim contact the proper law enforcement agency in order to report the assault
Student Disciplinary Emergencies
Although the University takes routine disciplinary action against students under the auspices of the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance, the Emergency Evaluation and Action Committee Policy and Procedures (EEAC) provide a swifter response when the safety of the University community is involved. Students whose cases may require action pursuant to this policy fall into four categories:
(1) An applicant for admission or readmission to the University who has been convicted of a crime involving assault or felonious behavior, who has a record of violent behavior or who has a record of academic dishonesty or disciplinary rule violations elsewhere;
(2) A student whose behavior, on or off campus, is such that his/her presence in the University, in the judgment of the Emergency Evaluation and Action Committee, poses a serious threat of disruption of the academic process or a continuing danger to other members of the University community or University property;
(3) A student who has been arrested and charged with a serious crime of a violent or dangerous nature, or a serious crime that involved placing another person in fear of imminent physical injury or danger, where, in the judgment of the committee, if the student is found guilty, his/her presence in the University would pose a serious threat of disruption of the academic process or a continuing danger to the student, other members of the University community or University property; and
(4) A student charged by the University with a violation of policies concerning illegal drugs, whose continued presence within the University community would, if the charges are true, constitute a clear and immediate danger to the health or welfare of other members of the University community.
The Committee can decide to suspend the student indefinitely, require the student to receive mental health treatment, or impose other conditions on the student.
Violence in the Workplace Policy
Complementing policies and procedures already in place for students, the University’s Violence in the Workplace Policy provides a mechanism for dealing with violent behavior by employees on the job. The policy prohibits "any form of violence by an employee against another employee, student, vendor, or visitor to the University."
Employees are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, for threats, intimidation, physical attack or intentional property damage they commit on or off campus while engaged in activity related to their University employment. Using or possessing a weapon while engaged in such activity also is a violation of the policy unless the employee's job duties require it.
Any employee who believes that he or she has been the target of workplace violence should report the incident immediately to an appropriate supervisor or manager, or to the Employee & Management Relations Department in Human Resources at 843-3444. In emergencies, employees should call University Police at 911.
Reports of violence will be handled in a confidential manner with information being released only on a need-to-know basis. Management will investigate incidents fully and promptly, take appropriate disciplinary action and follow up with victims and any other staff members affected by the incident. The policy prohibits retaliation and harassment against employees who make good-faith reports about policy violations.
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(1)(B)
A statement of current policies concerning security and access to campus facilities, including campus residences, and security considerations used in the maintenance of campus facilities.
Facilities
Maintaining building security is a major priority of the University to protect individuals living on campus and those who live elsewhere and come to campus to use University facilities.
University instructional and administrative facilities are generally open to the public during normal business hours all year, but they are locked at other times. Individuals who need access to locked facilities should call the Department of Public Safety. Requests for access without prior arrangement require proof of identity and authorization from the person or department that controls the facility or area.
Housekeepers, who usually work when buildings are closed, check out keys to their buildings each day and re-lock building doors after entering. Many housekeepers who work from midnight to 8 a.m. and those working in remote buildings carry radios so they can call for assistance in emergencies. Housekeeping Services employs two security guards through Police Services to patrol on foot, check buildings, and respond to housekeepers' calls for assistance.
All residence halls have electronic key systems where residents can open the outside door by using a proximity key to activate the reader. Exterior doors to residence halls are locked at all times. Exceptions are made when students move in each semester. Signs posted at the entrance to each residence hall provide notice of restrictions on entry.
If a student changes residence halls or moves off campus, access may be changed by updating the student's profile in the computer system without the issuance of a new key. All such changes are made online and are effective immediately. The Facilities Services Housing Support Division deactivates lost keys in the same way. Residents should report lost exterior proximity keys immediately to the Community Office.
Each resident has a key to his or her residence hall room or apartment. In suite-style residence halls, the room key also opens the suite door. Residents are advised to keep doors locked at all times. Room locks are changed when keys are lost and residents should immediately report lost room keys to the Community Office.
Residents may have invited guests visit in the student room and residence hall; however, some halls have restrictions related to when guests may visit, commonly referred to as visitation. Limited visitation allows guests to visit from 9am-1am Sunday-Thursday, and 9am-2am Friday and Saturday. Standard visitation allows guests to visit anytime with the permission of the roommate.
Both visitation options require roommate consent. Students complete roommate agreements early in the academic year to establish guidelines when guests are invited into the student room. In addition, students living in the residence hall are responsible for maintaining the visitation standards as members of a common community. The Resident Advisor is available to mediate when roommate or community agreements are not upheld. Each residence hall has a telephone located at the entrance. Invited guests gain access to the residence hall by calling their host and asking to be escorted while visiting. Students are held responsible for the behavior of their guests.
Only authorized personnel are provided access to keys that open multiple residence hall doors. These include Public Safety personnel, maintenance personnel and residence hall staff. Live-in professional staff control residence hall room key access. The Facilities Services Housing Support Division controls master key access.
Any facility-related security concern or other emergency is given highest priority for response by Housing Support personnel. Typical security calls are for locks not functioning and broken windows. If the request for attention is made during normal working hours, an attempt is made to respond during that day.
If the request is made after normal working hours, the Public Safety Telecommunications Center alerts the appropriate personnel on call. Emergency and security maintenance requests are handled as soon as the person on call can arrive on campus
Campus Lighting
Adequate lighting on campus is an important component of safety and security as it illuminates areas to allow people to avoid obstructions or obstacles and reduces or eliminates places where confrontational people or criminals can hide.
At night, campus lighting corridors provide higher level lighting for walkways and parking lots that are used frequently after dark by students, staff, faculty and other campus visitors. While it is too expensive to provide such lighting across the entire campus, additional illumination along these corridors is both necessary and beneficial to campus safety and security. The concentration of after-dark pedestrians in the lighting corridors also reduces each pedestrian’s sense of being alone and more vulnerable.
Lighting corridors now exist from East Franklin Street at the north end of campus to Rams Village residence halls on south campus. Older lights on north campus have been replaced with higher intensity, improved-color lights that nearly double the amount of light in that area and that improve color recognition for easier identification. East-west corridors follow Cameron Avenue and South Road, and additional corridors are being evaluated for potential need and value.
To review lighting needs, the Electric Distribution Systems work group within Energy Services has been conducting lighting tours of the campus twice a year for more than two decades. Normally, tours are held in April and October. These walking tours allow students and staff to point out where lighting needs improvement, to see where it has changed (because of construction or tree and shrubbery growth, for example) and to see the impact of changes that have been made to improve lighting. Since the lighting corridors were created, several lighting tours have demonstrated the benefits to all who walk in these areas, and positive comments from students on the tour show that the higher level of light provides a strong deterrent to potential dangers and a sense of increased safety.
Usually participating in the tours are representatives from the student body, Graduate and Professional Student Federation, Department of Public Safety, University Housing, Facilities Planning, Building Services, Grounds Services and members of the Campus Personal Safety Committee. The tour leader historically is the manager of Electric Distribution Systems and/or a member of his or her staff.
The tours are open to any interested person. Advance notices of tour dates are sent to the above-mentioned representatives and to the Daily Tar Heel and the University Gazette.
Anyone with a concern about lighting is encouraged to call Electric Distribution Systems at 962-8394 at any time, day or night. If you are interested in participating in the walking tour, call Electric Distribution Systems at the number just mentioned or watch for the announcements in the Daily Tar Heel and University Gazette.
Finally, increased illumination does not eliminate the need to be cautious when walking at night. Pedestrians should walk with a friend, take the P2P Express, or call Point-to-Point at 962-7867 (962-P-TO-P). Use one of the campus call boxes if you feel threatened at any time of day or night.
Campus Transportation Options
Point-to-Point. The Point-to-Point (P2P) Express serves designated stops around campus on a fixed route between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. seven days a week during fall and spring semesters. This service is available to all faculty, staff, and students. P2P does not provide service when the residence halls are closed. P2P pick-up times are posted at key P2P Express stops on the route.
P2P also provides transportation services to students and employees with disabilities 24 hours a day. Advance reservations may be made for this service. A doctor’s certificate is required to be kept on file at the P2P Dispatch Office. The service is free to students and employees with University identification cards. Service schedules are subject to change during special events. No service is available on officially designated University holidays when residence halls are closed.
Students and employees may telephone the Point-to-Point Shuttle between dusk and dawn for transportation between campus locations and remote on-campus parking lots that are not served by the P2P Express route. Call 962-PTOP (962-7867). The hearing impaired may call the text telephone (TDD) at 962-7142. P2P dispatchers and drivers are knowledgeable about campus and may be able to provide you some helpful information.
Many campus parking lots offer one-touch direct-line phones to the P2P dispatcher for student use. Just drive up to the dark blue P2P box and push the red button to be connected to a P2P dispatcher. You may stay in your car near the box until the shuttle arrives, then park and board the shuttle.
Rides to the Student Health Center are also available to students 24 hours a day from any campus location.
Commuter Alternative Program. P2P also works with the Commuter Alternative Program (C.A.P.) to provide emergency ride back service (call 843-“SOS1”) to members of C.A.P. who have a verifiable emergency and need transportation to their cars parked in off-campus park and ride lots. C.A.P. participants who commute from outside Chapel Hill and Carrboro may join Triangle Transit’s Emergency Ride Home program. To do so, visit http://www.gotriangle.org/ERH . You do not have to be in C.A.P. or live outside the local area to join Triangle Transit’s program. You may participate even if you walk to campus each day.
Motorist Assistance Program. If your car is stranded, the Department of Public Safety's Motorist Assistance Program (M.A.P.) offers lock-out key retrievals and jump-starts to motorists on campus. Employees or students may access M.A.P. through the department's Security Enforcement Division at 962-8006 on weekdays from 7 a.m. to midnight or through UNC-Chapel Hill Police Services at 962-8100 during other times.
Zipcar. Through Zipcar, UNC-Chapel Hill's car-sharing program, students (ages 18+), faculty / staff, and University departments have access to cars parked on campus for use by the hour or by the day for reasonable rates. Fuel, insurance, and even parking are included. Cars may be used for off-campus and out-of-town trips as well. More information is available at www.zipcar.com/unc
More Information. For information on parking permits, special event and visitor parking, P2P shuttle service, the Commuter Alternatives Program and the Zipcar program, check the Department of Public Safety's website, http://www.dps.unc.edu. You can find links to transportation websites there too, including a link to the Chapel Hill Transit website at www.chtransit.org The most straightforward access to much information exists on the websites of others that are designed specifically for this purpose. Visit http://www.GoTriangle.org or http://www.RedefineTravel.org (for students). There you can do single trip planning, join the regional ridesharing database and access bus maps and schedules for bus routes serving the local area and throughout the region.
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(1)(C)
A statement of current policies concerning campus law enforcement, including—(i) the law enforcement authority of campus security personnel; (ii) the working relationship of campus security personnel with State and local law enforcement agencies, including whether the institution has agreements with such agencies, such as written memoranda of understanding, for the investigation of alleged criminal offenses; and (iii) policies which encourage accurate and prompt reporting of all crimes to the campus police and the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
N.C. General Statute 116-40.5 grants the Board of Trustees of any constituent institution of The University of North Carolina the authority to establish a campus law enforcement agency and employ campus police officers; it also provides that “ the territorial jurisdiction of a campus police officer shall include all property owned or leased to the institution employing the campus police officer and that portion of any public road or highway passing through such property or immediately adjoining it, wherever located.” Pursuant to this statute, the Board of Trustees of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill established the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety. As such, the Department is a legally appointed entity with full law enforcement agency status whose sworn personnel have all the powers of law enforcement officers generally.
Additionally, UNC-Chapel Hill Public Safety is one of only 46 college and university public safety agencies in the country that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies ,Inc., and is one of only four universities currently accredited in the State of North Carolina.
Recently, through an expanded jurisdiction agreement with the Chapel Hill Police, UNC-Chapel Hill officers who are en route to off-campus facilities are now able to respond to any suspicious, criminal, or emergency issues on sections of Franklin and Rosemary streets to the north and west of campus, and they have full authority in those areas. The Granville Towers housing facilities now also fall within the primary jurisdiction of the UNC-Chapel Hill Public Safety Police patrols.
The Department of Public Safety has mutual aid agreements with the Sheriff’s Departments for Chatham County, Durham County, and Orange County; the Police Departments for Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Hillsborough; and the Campus Police Departments for East Carolina University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina State University, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and The University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Officers from the Chapel Hill and Carrboro police departments and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department often participate when there is a major special event at the University. On request the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety also cooperates with law enforcement agencies investigating criminal activity on the premises of recognized, off-campus student organizations. The Department also has a close working relationship with the State Bureau of Investigation and N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement, and it conducts joint operations and training exercises with the Chapel Hill Police.
In the interest of agency interoperability, the Department of Public Safety has also acquired an 800-megaherz communication system that allows for a more cohesive communications strategy with other Orange County emergency and law enforcement agencies.
For additional information about policies encouraging prompt and accurate reporting of crimes, please see the section of this report entitled “Reporting Crime and Other Emergencies.”
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(1)(D) and (E)
(D) a description of the type and frequency of programs designed to inform students and employees about campus security procedures and practices and to encourage students and employees to be responsible for their own security and the security of others.
(E) a description of programs designed to inform students and employees about the prevention of crimes.
Department of Public Safety
University police services center on one primary concern: to protect and serve all who come to campus. Information is an important component in the continuing effort to increase campus safety by encouraging members of the campus community to be responsible for their own security and the security of others. There are many sources of safety and security information on the Carolina campus.
Students, faculty and staff can help make Carolina a safer community by taking steps to protect themselves and by encouraging people to call campus police.
Everyone who has safety concerns or notes suspicious activity is encouraged to call the Department of Public Safety at the emergency phone number 911, or by using any emergency call box.
One of the Department of Public Safety’s goals is to stop crime before it takes place. To attain this goal, a great deal of attention is given to community oriented policing and crime prevention programming. Its pro-active, community-oriented programs focus on providing crime prevention education for students, faculty and staff. These programs allow the Department to stay in touch with the community's needs.
Crime prevention programs available by request include, but are not limited to, the following:
For more information about scheduling a crime prevention program or workshop, contact the Department of Public Safety's Crime Prevention Office at 966-3230 or through the department's website at http://www.dps.unc.edu . Classes can be tailored to meet your individual needs, and new classes are added as the need arises.
Additional information available upon request or on the department’s website includes:
Office of Human Resources
The Office of Human Resources offers a workshop on conflict management that focuses on recognizing and addressing various conflict situations. Information on upcoming classes appears in the Office of Human Resources course catalog, published twice each year in the University Gazette, or on the web at http://www.training.unc.edu . Interested persons may also call 962-2550 for information.
The University is also committed to assuring a healthy and safe working environment that is free from threats of workplace violence. The Employee and Management Relations division in the Office of Human Resources is in the process of finalizing the Employee Threat Assessment and Response Team protocols. Additionally, the Violence in the Workplace Officer is available to provide customized information sessions on the Violence in the Workplace policy as needed to departments. These sessions will cover topics including recognizing the warning signs of potential workplace violence and the reporting suspicious incidents. Individuals may call Employee and Management Relations at 843-3444 for additional information.
Self Defense Courses
Physical Education, Exercise and Sport Science. Students in PHYA 228 earn a physical education activity credit while learning how to make themselves safer. Although participants learn physical self-defense techniques such as kicking, blocking and escaping from someone's hold, a major focus of the class is analysis --realizing how one is vulnerable and how to stop being vulnerable.
Students in this course will be instructed by incorporating a three-dimensional educational approach. First, the student will develop skill, including techniques and strategies in physical activities related to self-defense. Second, the student will develop knowledge of skill and strategy; knowledge necessary for enhancing personal health, fitness and well being; and knowledge of developmentally appropriate ethical and health patterns related to self-defense. Third, the student will develop through physical activity, self-confidence and determination as related to self-defense.
PHYA 228 is open to male and female students. Two sections (25-30 slots in each) will be offered in the fall and two in the spring semester. An additional section will be offered during each of the summer sessions. Feedback from former students rates this class as one that made a real impact in their lives. Several students have even reported successfully using the methods learned in class in real life.
Department of Public Safety. The Department of Public Safety offers Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training for female students, faculty and staff. RAD training is designed to empower participants by educating them, helping them develop self-reliance and decision-making skills and providing a training environment where they can discover the power of their own strength. Participants learn awareness, prevention, risk-reduction and avoidance techniques, but much of the 12-hour program is spent practicing application of self-defense tactics, including realistic simulation training. Women of average fitness will be able to participate successfully.
RAD training is offered several times a year. Afternoon, evening or weekend classes may be offered as three four-hour blocks or four three-hour blocks. Maximum class size is 25. For information about class schedules, call Lt. Angela Carmon at 966-3230. The Student Activities Funds Office provides funding for course manuals, and participants may keep them after the end of the course. Protective equipment is provided free of charge, including a free mouthpiece. For more information on RAD classes, please visit the following Crime Prevention link through the Department of Public Safety website: http://www.dps.unc.edu/Police/crimeprevention/classes/classes.cfm. Participants who complete the course may present their signed manuals at any RAD training facility in the United States or Canada to be allowed to practice or participate in refresher training at no charge.
Information sources
The University distributes information about security and safety in a variety of ways:
20 U.S. Code 1092(f)(1)(F)
Statistics concerning the occurrence on campus, in or on noncampus buildings or property, and on public property during the most recent calendar year, and during the 2 preceding calendar years for which data are available—
(i) of the following criminal offenses reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies:
Murder; sex offenses, forcible or nonforcible; robbery; aggravated assault; burglary; motor vehicle theft; manslaughter; arson; and arrests or persons referred for campus disciplinary action for liquor law violations, drug-related violations, and weapons possession, and
(ii) of the crimes described [above], of larceny-theft, simple assault, intimidation, and destruction, damage , or vandalism of property, and of other crimes involving bodily injury to any person, in which the victim is intentionally selected because of the actual or perceived race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability of the victim that are reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies, which data shall be collected and reported according to category of prejudice. [Hate crimes]
For purposes of reporting the statistics …an institution of higher education shall distinguish, by means of separate categories, any criminal offenses that occur—on campus; in or on a noncampus building or property; on public property; and in dormitories or other residential facilities for students on campus.
The tables below show crime, arrest, and disciplinary referral statistics for 2006-2008. These statistics were compiled from information reported to campus police, UNC Hospitals police, the Department of Housing and Residential Education, The Dean of Students Office, and law enforcement agencies in the jurisdictions where the University owns or controls property used for programs involving its own students, including the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
The federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act requires that statistics be reported by calendar year. More recent information is available on request from the named law enforcement agencies. University crime statistics for previous years may be found in UCR data published by the North Carolina and U.S. departments of justice.
The statute requires crimes to be reported by geographical categories as explained below.
Campus: (I) any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the institution’s educational purposes, including residence halls; and (II) property within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is used by students, and supports institution purposes..
In the tables below, "Campus" includes (1) all property on the central campus (including Granville Towers, residence halls, UNC Hospitals, and other campus buildings); (2) all University owned or controlled property within a three mile radius of South Building that is used in direct support of, or related to, its educational purposes; and (3) Chapel Hill North and the parts of University Lake, the Horace Williams Property and Mason Farm that fall outside the three-mile circle.
Crime statistics for residence halls, including Granville Towers, are included in the “Campus” statistics. The tables also show separate crime statistics for UNC-Chapel Hill residence halls, including Granville Towers.
Noncampus building or property: (I) any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization recognized by the institution; and (II) any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution’s educational purposes, is used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.
The University leases property throughout the state that is used for various programs involving its own students. Statistics for this property, the University's Marine Sciences Facility in Morehead City, and other non-contiguous University owned or controlled property that is used in similar ways, are reported under "Non-Campus Buildings or Property." This category also includes the premises of all off-campus fraternities and sororities except the unrecognized dental fraternity on Highway 54.
Public property: all public property that is within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution, such as a sidewalk, a street, other thoroughfare, or parking facility, and is adjacent to a facility owned or controlled by the institution if the facility is used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to the institution’s educational purposes.
The crime statistics in this report for public property include the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety’s statistics for public property on the central campus. Chapel Hill Police report crimes occurring on streets and sidewalks only by the name of the street and not by the address of the nearest building. They have informed the University that, even if they went back to each individual incident report, they would not be able to determine whether such incidents occurred on “public property” as defined in the statute. The Carrboro Police have an address-based information retrieval system that does not separate crimes occurring inside buildings from those occurring outside. Consequently the statistics in this section of the table include Department of Public Safety statistics for "Public Property" on the central campus, and statistics representing the best efforts of Carrboro Police to retrieve the requested information for adjacent "Public Property."
As noted earlier, some of the areas defined above are not within the Department of Public Safety's jurisdiction. Statistics for crimes and arrests in those areas have been obtained from local police agencies for inclusion here.
Please note: because the statute requires reporting by geographical categories and a single incident may be reported in more than one category, attempting to total the statistics from all areas will not yield an accurate picture of total crime.
To provide a full picture of area crime, statistics are also included for the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
In addition to statistics on crimes occurring in the listed locations above, the statute also requires statistics on arrests for liquor law violations, drug-related violations, and weapons possession. It also requires statistics on persons referred for campus disciplinary action for liquor law violations, drug-related violations, and weapons possession.
The U.S. Department of Education requires that, if a person is both arrested and referred for disciplinary action for the same violation, only the arrest should be reported for purposes of this report. Citations, criminal summonses and notices to appear are also considered to be “arrests.” According to federal offense definitions, neither driving under the influence nor drunkenness is considered a “liquor law violation.”
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(1)(G)
A statement of policy concerning the monitoring and recording through local police agencies of criminal activity at off-campus student organizations which are recognized by the institution and that are engaged in by students attending the institution, including those student organizations with off-campus housing facilities.
As noted above crime statistics for noncampus buildings or property include statistics for crimes occurring on the premises of all off-campus fraternities and sororities except the unrecognized dental fraternity on Highway 54. Because the currently active officially recognized Greek organizations with living facilities are located off-campus, Chapel Hill Police respond to incidents at those addresses, and the crime statistics in this report for those organizations are from the Chapel Hill Police. On request, the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety cooperates with law enforcement agencies investigating criminal activity on the premises of recognized, off-campus student organizations.
UNC-Chapel Hill Crime Statistics [1] |
||||||||||
LOCATION |
YEAR |
MURDER & NON-NEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER |
NEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER |
SEX OFFENSE FORCIBLE [2] |
INCEST & STATUTORY RAPE [3] |
ROBBERY |
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT |
BURGLARY B&E [5] |
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT |
ARSON |
CAMPUS |
2008 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
6 |
5 |
0 |
CAMPUS |
2007 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
7 |
1 |
CAMPUS |
2006 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
2 |
16 |
29 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NONCAMPUS (4) |
2008 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
NONCAMPUS |
2007 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
13 |
2 |
0 |
NONCAMPUS (4) |
2006 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
23 |
3 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RES. HALLS |
2008 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
RES. HALLS |
2007 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
RES.HALLS |
2006 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PUBLIC PROP. [6] |
2008 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
PUBLIC PROP. [6] |
2007 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
PUBLIC PROP. [6] |
2006 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
UNC-Chapel Hill Arrest/Disciplinary Referral Statistics |
|||||||
LOCATION |
YEAR |
LIQUOR LAW ARRESTS |
DRUG- RELATED ARRESTS [7] |
WEAPONS ARRESTS |
LIQUOR LAW DISC. REFS. |
DRUG- RELATED DISC. REFS. |
WEAPONS DISC. REFS. |
CAMPUS |
2008 |
85 |
41 |
4 |
294 |
7 |
0 |
CAMPUS |
2007 |
33 |
20 |
0 |
202 |
1 |
0 |
CAMPUS |
2006 |
52 |
83 |
9 |
216 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NONCAMPUS |
2008 |
20 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NONCAMPUS |
2007 |
3 |
10 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
NONCAMPUS |
2006 |
17 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RES. HALLS |
2008 |
40 |
21 |
1 |
294 |
7 |
0 |
RES. HALLS |
2007 |
17 |
9 |
0 |
199 |
1 |
0 |
RES. HALLS |
2006 |
16 |
18 |
2 |
216 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PUBLIC PROP. [6] |
2008 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
PUBLIC PROP. [6] |
2007 |
18 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
PUBLIC PROP. [6] |
2006 |
2 |
24 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chapel Hill Crime Statistics [8] |
|||||||||
YEAR |
MURDER & NONNEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER |
NEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER |
SEX OFFENSE, FORCIBLE |
INCEST & STATUTORY RAPE |
ROBBERY |
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT |
BURGLARY B&E |
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT |
ARSON |
2008 |
2 |
No report |
10 |
No report |
74 |
68 |
536 |
90 |
No rpt |
2007 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
2 |
59 |
112 |
593 |
96 |
16 |
2006 |
2 |
0 |
24 |
32 |
80 |
149 |
531 |
77 |
13 |
Chapel Hill Arrest Statistics |
|||
YEAR |
LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS |
DRUG- RELATED VIOLATIONS |
WEAPONS VIOLATIONS |
2008 |
No report |
No report |
No report |
2007 |
297 |
513 |
18 |
2006 |
214 |
511 |
92 |
|
|
|
|
Carrboro Crime Statistics |
|||||||||
YEAR |
MURDER & NONNEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER |
NEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER |
SEX OFFENSE, FORCIBLE |
INCEST & STATUTORY RAPE |
ROBBERY |
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT |
BURGLARY B&E |
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT |
ARSON |
2008 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
38 |
46 |
263 |
59 |
3 |
2007 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
13 |
42 |
210 |
29 |
2 |
2006 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
26 |
43 |
214 |
32 |
1 |
Carrboro Arrest Statistics |
|||
YEAR |
LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS |
DRUG- RELATED VIOLATIONS |
WEAPONS VIOLATIONS |
2008 |
70 |
121 |
17 |
2007 |
7 |
74 |
7 |
2006 |
146 [9] |
87 |
7 |
Footnotes for Statistics Tables
[1] In 2008 there were no hate crimes reported by University Police. In 2007 there were no hate crimes reported by University Police. In 2006 there were 10 hate crimes reported by University police. All were aggravated assaults based on religious prejudice and stemmed from an incident where a car was driven into a crowd on campus.
[2] This includes 7 in 2008, 6 in 2007, and 9 in 2006 that were reported to the Division of Student Affairs but not to the Department of Public Safety or other applicable police agency.
[3] This encompasses the National Incident-Based Reporting System definition of “sex offense, nonforcible.”
[4] Manteo Police did not provide data for 2006. Unable to obtain statistics for one address in Research Triangle Park for 2008.
[5] This includes 1 burglary at a study-abroad site (non-campus) in 2006.
[6] Chapel Hill Police report crimes occurring on streets and sidewalks only by the name of the street and not by the address of the nearest building. They have informed the University that, even if they went back to each individual incident report, they would not be able to determine whether such incidents occurred on “public property” as defined in the statute. The Carrboro Police computer system retrieves crime statistics by property address, and incidents occurring inside buildings cannot be separated from those occurring on public property outside buildings. Figures include University Police statistics for public property on the central campus, and Carrboro Police statistics for addresses where the University owns or controls at least part of a building in the area designated as “campus” for purposes of this report.
[7] This includes 3 arrests in 2008, 1 arrest in 2007, and 30 arrests in 2006 made by UNC Hospitals police for drug violations.
[8] In 2008, Chapel Hill Police did not make a report about hate crimes; in 2007 they reported no hate crimes; and in 2006, they reported no hate crimes. In 2008 Carrboro Police reported no hate crimes.
[9] This figure as reported by Carrboro Police includes an unspecified number of DWI arrests, which are not considered “liquor law violations” for purposes of this report.
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(1) H
A statement of policy regarding the possession, use and sale of alcoholic beverages and enforcement of State underage drinking laws and a statement of policy regarding the possession, use, and sale of illegal drugs and enforcement of Federal and State drug laws and a description of any drug or alcohol abuse education programs.
A Message from Chancellor Holden Thorp
Illegal or abusive use of drugs or alcohol by members of the University community can adversely affect the educational environment and interfere with maximum achievement of personal, social and educational goals. I am writing to provide you with information about University policies in this area and because I want to be sure you are aware of the many resources available if you, or a friend or family member, need help for a substance abuse problem. The University has had a Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program for faculty, staff and students since 1987. It addresses the problem of substance abuse through education and, where appropriate, through referral and/or disciplinary action. Since then the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, the Drug Free Schools and Communities Amendments of 1989 and the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 have established certain federal reporting and information-distribution requirements designed to combat drug and alcohol abuse.
Trustee Policy on Illegal Drugs
The Board of Trustees' Policy on Illegal Drugs is part of the University's Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program, and every student, faculty member, administrator and other employee of the University is responsible for being familiar with and complying with the terms of this policy. Under the policy, students, faculty members, administrators and all other employees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are held responsible as citizens for knowing and complying with state laws that make it a crime to possess, sell, deliver or manufacture drugs designated collectively as "controlled substances" in Article 5 of Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes. These substances include cocaine, amphetamines, anabolic steroids, marijuana and other drugs. Any member of the University community who violates those laws may be subject both to prosecution and punishment by the civil authorities and to disciplinary proceedings by the University. Copies of the full text of the policy are available at the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Human Resources and on the web at http://www.unc.edu/campus/policies/illegal_drugs.html .
Campus alcohol policies
The University's Policy on Student Possession and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages sets out rules on student alcohol use and possession, additional rules for recognized student groups and University enforcement responses for violations of those rules. In its discussion of North Carolina alcohol laws, it notes in part that “It is against the law for any person under twenty-one (21) to purchase or possess any alcoholic beverage” and further that “It is against the law for anyone to sell or give any alcoholic beverage to a person under twenty-one (21) or to aid or abet such person in selling, purchasing or possessing any alcoholic beverage.” Copies are available at the Office of Student Affairs and on the web at http://www.unc.edu/campus/policies/studentalcohol.html . The Fraternity and Sorority Alcohol Policy, an addendum to the student alcohol policy, can be found at http://greeks.unc.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=102&Itemid=148
The University's Guidelines for Serving Alcohol at University-Sponsored Events provide comprehensive information about applicable laws and University rules to the whole campus. A copy may be found on the web at http://www.unc.edu/campus/policies/alcohol.html .
Alcohol service at private functions held at certain University facilities (listed in the Guidelines) is governed by the rules of those facilities.
Drug free workplace requirements
Federal legislation also requires, as a condition of employment, that any faculty or staff member or student assistant engaged in the performance of a federal grant or contract must abide by the University's drug policy and, if he or she is convicted of a violation of any criminal drug statute in the workplace, must give written notice of that conviction to his or her dean, director or department chair within five days thereafter. The dean, director or chair should forward any such reports to the University’s General Counsel.
Disciplinary proceedings
Disciplinary proceedings against a student, faculty member, administrator or other employee will be initiated under the University's Policy on Illegal Drugs when the alleged conduct is deemed to affect the interests of the University. Penalties will be imposed for violation of the policy only in accordance with the University's existing procedural safeguards that are applicable to all disciplinary actions against students, faculty members, administrators and other employees.
Possible penalties for violations of the Policy on Illegal Drugs range from written warnings with probationary status to expulsion from enrollment and discharge from employment. On-the-job drug or alcohol impairment or any possession or use of alcohol on campus other than that authorized by the policies noted above are not consistent with these policies and will be addressed appropriately through established disciplinary procedures. Violations of the student alcohol policy will be addressed as set out in that policy.
Where to get help for a substance abuse problem
There is help available for those who seek it. Counseling and Wellness Services (966-3658) provides Tarheel BASICs, brief counseling, and referrals for students seeking help with substance abuse problems. UNC Health Care’s Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program offers comprehensive DUI services and can be accessed by contacting Bill Renn (966-6039). The University's Employee Assistance Program, 929-2362 or 877-327-7658 (24 hours a day), provides assessment and referrals for employees and their family members. Local community mental health agencies and personal physicians can identify treatment resources, and information and assistance also are available from local chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. If you, your friends or family members are experiencing problems with substance abuse, I urge you to get in touch with these University and community resources for assistance.
Information on health risks and legal consequences
Information about the health risks associated with drug use and the misuse of alcohol is available from Campus Health Services’ Counseling and Wellness Services. As the federal Drug Free Schools and Communities Amendments of 1989 require, I am including below a description of the health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and misuse of alcohol; a summary of applicable legal sanctions for the unlawful possession or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol; and a summary of the University's minimum sanctions for unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students or employees on University property or as a part of any University activity.
Illegal drugs and alcohol not only pose serious health risks to those who use them, but state and federal criminal penalties for possession, sale, trafficking and illegal interstate transportation also are severe. University disciplinary sanctions for possession and sale of illegal drugs and alcohol can result in disruption or termination of University education or employment. More detailed information, for a selected list of substances, follows:
Health risks
Alcohol: This depressant slows down your heart, nervous system and brain, and high doses of alcohol can cause you to stop breathing. Prolonged immoderate use can cause artery disease, heart failure and liver damage including cancer, cirrhosis and hepatitis. Women may develop alcohol-related health problems sooner than men, and from drinking less alcohol than men. Because alcohol affects nearly every organ in the body, long-term heavy drinking increases the risk for many serious health problems.
Marijuana: Because it damages short-term memory and decreases concentration and learning abilities, marijuana is particularly detrimental to students. It contains more than 400 chemicals and has 2 ½ times as much tar as tobacco. Extensive research has been devoted to studying the dangers and potential harm associated with the use of this drug. Research shows that marijuana users experience the same health problems as tobacco smokers, such as bronchitis, emphysema, bronchial asthma, and throat and lung cancer; tend to have more chest colds than nonusers; and are at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per day may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day. Effects also include increased heart rate, dryness of the mouth, reddening of the eyes, and impaired motor skills and concentration.
Anabolic steroids: Steroids have side effects ranging from insomnia to death. Using them increases your risk of cancer and cardiovascular, kidney and liver disease. Users may exhibit aggressive, combative behavior, and use may cause impotence, sterility or fetal damage.
Amphetamines: These drugs cause acute psychoses and malnutrition. They also can make you nervous, hyperactive and sleepless and can elevate your pulse rate and blood pressure.
Methamphetamines Meth is a highly addictive drug that targets the functioning of the central nervous system. Short term effects include increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, hypothermia, irritability, paranoia, insomnia, confusion, tremors, and aggressiveness. Long term health effects include irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, stroke, severe reduction motor skills with symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease, impaired verbal learning, memory impairment, and decreased ability to regulate emotions. Many of the long term effects persist after use of the drug is discontinued.
Barbiturates: Both physiologically and psychologically addictive, these drugs can cause death in high doses. Infants born to barbiturate users may suffer congenital deformities. Other effects include nausea, dizziness, lethargy, allergic reactions and possible breathing difficulties.
Cocaine: Anyone who uses cocaine -- even a first-time user -- may have seizures, heart fibrillation and strokes that can result in death. Habitual users experience irritability, paranoia and hallucinations. Use causes tumors, chronic fatigue, dangerous weight loss, sexual impotence and insomnia, and affects respiration, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Heroin and opium: An overdose of these psychologically and physiologically addictive drugs can cause death. Users feel sluggish and fall asleep at inappropriate and dangerous times. Intravenous users risk contracting Hepatitis, AIDS, and other infections.
LSD: LSD causes hallucinations, perception distortions and anxiety. Users cannot function normally and are accident-prone. LSD also can cause elevated body temperature and respiration and a rapid heartbeat.
MDMA (Ecstasy): This drug produces both stimulant and psychedelic effects including increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, nervousness, and hyperactivity. Because users may experience feelings of increased confidence, sensitivity, arousal, and confusion, use of Ecstasy makes them more vulnerable to crime, especially robbery, sexual assault, and other unwanted sexual encounters.
Oxycodone and other narcotics: These are safe and effective treatments for pain when prescribed by a doctor and used as directed. However, they are opioids, and therefore are psychologically and physiologically addictive. They can cause death by stopping breathing. Because of their medical uses, these drugs are frequently manufactured in a time-release (sustained-release, long-acting, extended-release) form. If users circumvent the time-release formulation, they may take a larger dose than intended, overdose, and suffer serious complications or death. Combining narcotics with alcohol or other drugs significantly increases the risk to life and well-being.
Psilocybin: This substance, found in certain mushrooms, causes hallucinations and perception distortions. Users cannot function normally and are accident-prone. This drug also can produce anxiety, elevated body temperature, rapid heartbeat and elevated respiration.
Ritalin (methylphenidate), Concerta, Adderall: These are safe and effective treatments for ADHD when prescribed by a doctor and used as directed. However, they are stimulants and can be addictive. Because of their medical uses, these drugs are frequently manufactured in a time-release (sustained-release, long-acting, extended-release) form. If users circumvent the time-release formulation, they may take a larger dose than intended, overdose, and suffer complications or death.
Legal consequences
North Carolina has structured sentencing, with judges permitted to impose a sentence within a prescribed range, depending on the class of the offense, the number of prior convictions for the individual defendant, and whether there were aggravating or mitigating factors in the circumstances of the offense. The sentences below represent the maximum possible sentence under North Carolina law for possession and sale of the listed drugs:
Sale of Amphetamine, Cocaine, GHB, Heroin, LSD, MDMA, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, Opium, Psylocibin,: 44 months imprisonment and fine
Sale of anabolic steroids, barbiturates, marijuana: 30 months imprisonment and fine
Possession of GHB, Heroin, LSD, MDMA, Psylocibin: 15 months imprisonment and fine
Possession of more than 100 dosage units of anabolic steroids, barbiturates, Opium, Oxycodone: 15 months imprisonment and fine
Possession of any amount of amphetamine, methamphetamine, or cocaine: 15 months imprisonment and fine
Possession of marijuana: less than ½ ounce—20 days imprisonment and fine; over ½ ounce—120 days imprisonment and fine; over 1 ½ ounces—15 months imprisonment and fine
Minimum University sanctions for students/employees
Sale of amphetamines (including methamphetamine), cocaine, GHB, heroin, LSD, MDMA, opium, oxycodone, or psilocybin: student expulsion and employee discharge.
Possession of these drugs: first offense: suspension from enrollment or employment for at least one semester. (Because the Policy on Illegal Drugs requires, at a minimum, a longer suspension without pay than State Personnel Commission regulations allow, the penalty for a first offense for SPA employees is discharge.) Second offense: sanctions up to expulsion for students and discharge for employees.
Sale of anabolic steroids or marijuana: first-offense: suspension from enrollment or employment for at least one semester. (Because of State Personnel Commission rules, SPA employees will be discharged.) Second offense: student expulsion and employee discharge.
Possession of these drugs, first offense: probation. Possible conditions of probation: drug education and counseling, regular drug testing and other appropriate conditions. If student or employee fails to comply with probation conditions: suspension for the balance of the probation period (because of State Personnel Commission rules, if the balance of an SPA employee's probation period exceeds one work week, he/she will be discharged). Subsequent offenses: progressively more severe penalties, including expulsion and discharge.
Sale of alcohol: sanction depends on violator's status.
Employee violations of alcohol possession rules: disciplinary warning, suspension or termination.
Student and student-organization violations of alcohol possession rules: Students will be held accountable for violation and will face probationary period, referral to CWS for Tarheel BASICS, and possible restitution or community service. For violations occurring in University Housing, students may receive additional Housing sanctions. Student organizations also risk loss of University recognition.
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(1)(I)
A statement advising the campus community where law enforcement agency information provided by a state…concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained, such as the law enforcement office of the institution, a local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction for the campus, or a computer network address.
In accordance with the “Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act” of 2000, which amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act, the Jeanne Clery Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is providing a link to the North Carolina Department of Justice sex offender registry. The Act referred to above requires institutions of higher education to issue a statement advising the campus community where law enforcement information provided by a State concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained.
North Carolina law currently requires sex offenders and individuals adjudged to be sexually violent predators to register with the sheriff of the county where they are living, and the sheriff maintains a registry of this information that is available to the public upon request. Registrants must furnish the following information: name, sex, address, physical description, picture, conviction date, offense for which registration was required, the sentence imposed as a result of the conviction, and registration status. An offender who is a non-resident student or non-resident worker must maintain registration with the Sheriff of the county where the offender works or attends school and must also identify the school he or she is attending or his/her place of employment.
The Orange County Sheriff maintains the registry for individuals who live, work, or attend school in Orange County. The North Carolina Department of Justice Division of Criminal Statistics maintains a searchable website for all registered sex offenders and sexually violent predators at http://sexoffender.ncdoj.gov/ . To access the registry from that website, click on “Search the Registry.” According to the North Carolina Department of Justice, “This information is made available for purposes of protecting the public, for keeping them informed and for allowing them to take proactive measures to ensure safety in their communities. Use and/or misuse of this information by individuals, groups or entities to commit criminal acts (to include, but not limited to, threats, intimidation, stalking, harassment) against other persons is subject to criminal prosecution.”
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(1)(J)
A statement of current campus policies regarding immediate emergency response and evacuations procedures, including the use of electronic and cellular communication (if appropriate), which policies shall include procedures to—(i) immediately notify the campus community upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or staff occurring on the campus…unless issuing a notification will compromise efforts to contain the emergency; (ii) publicize emergency response and evacuation procedures on an annual basis in a manner designed to reach students and staff; and (iii) test emergency response and evacuation procedures on an annual basis.
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(3)
Each institution…shall make timely reports to the campus community on crimes considered to be a threat to other students and employees…that are reported to campus security or local law police agencies. Such reports shall be provided to students and employees in a manner than is timely and that will aid in the prevention of similar occurrences.
Alert Carolina
At Carolina, we are committed to providing the safest campus environment that we can for our students and the campus community.
Alert Carolina, a safety awareness campaign, represents part of that commitment. Launched in spring 2008, the campaign aims to educate the campus about what to do in an emergency and where to find safety-related resources.
The University will inform the campus as quickly as possible when an emergency happens or we learn of a threat. Alert Carolina is better preparing everyone to know what to do, who to contact for help and where to find information and resources. The Alert Carolina Web site, http://alertcarolina.unc.edu is the go-to place for information about campus safety or before, during and after an emergency. (Remember that it may take time in an emergency for authorities to determine the facts. Do not call 911 or the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety for general information. The Alert Carolina Web site will provide new details as quickly as possible.)
Sirens sound only for an imminent, life-threatening emergency
The sirens are the best way the University has to quickly inform the campus about an imminent, life-threatening emergency. The sirens will sound only for:
If the sirens are activated, go inside or take cover immediately. Close windows and doors. Stay until further notice. The sirens also broadcast short pre-recorded voice messages. When the threat is over, the sirens will sound again with a different tone to announce along with the voice message: "All clear. Resume normal activities."
The University also sounds the sirens for testing, which is conducted at least once each fall and spring semester. The sirens are located at Hinton James Residence Hall off Manning Drive; the Gary R. Tomkins Chilled Water Operations Center behind the Dogwood Parking Deck; Winston Residence Hall at the corner of Raleigh Street and South Road; near Hill Hall behind University Methodist Church; and next to University buildings and support facilities near the Giles Horney Building off Martin Luther King Boulevard. The sirens are designed to be heard by people who are outside -- not in buildings or vehicles.
Text messages for sirens
When the sirens sound -- or during a test -- the University also automatically sends a text message to the cell phone numbers registered by students, faculty and staff in the online campus directory. You may keep the number private. Although in a recent test, text messages were delivered within three minutes of the time they were sent, because the siren is activated several minutes before the “send” button for text messages is activated, and because text messages are being sent simultaneously to more than 38,000 currently registered phone numbers, it may take anywhere from five minutes to 10 minutes for you to receive the message. Therefore as soon as you hear the sirens, it is critical that you go inside and take shelter immediately. Do not delay taking action even if you have not received a text message. Following a siren activation or a test, the University also sends an "all clear" text message.
Communications During Non-Siren Situations
In February 2009, the University's Emergency Warning Committee adopted procedures for communicating with the campus community when the Department of Public Safety determines that a situation is serious, but does not warrant sounding the sirens. If that non-siren scenario does endanger campus safety -- examples include a bomb threat, bomb, explosion, major fire, major power outage, hostage/barricaded person, riot, other civil disorder, or a dangerous weather condition -- and cannot be quickly and easily contained and mitigated, then the Emergency Warning Committee will:
1. there is risk of serious injury to students, faculty, or staff.
2. there is opportunity to mitigate that risk by having students, faculty, and staff take action such as evacuate buildings or areas of campus, avoid buildings or areas of campus, shelter in place, and
3. communication to those at risk cannot be fully accomplished by direct, localized means, such as voice/bullhorn/fire alarm/public address systems in buildings such as the libraries.
Text messages are limited to 140 characters, so recipients will always be directed to the Alert Carolina Web site for more information. Currently, more than 38,000 cell phone numbers are registered to receive text messages. Based on the results of the latest siren test, delivery of a text message currently takes about three minutes after the “send” button is clicked. Text messages will only supplement other direct, localized means of communication, such as a voice/bullhorn/fire alarm/public address system message. Care will be taken to use text messages appropriately since the overuse of this capability will diminish the effectiveness.
The University may also communicate in an emergency using means including campus-wide e-mail and voice mail (only for campus land lines), the Adverse Weather and Emergency Phone Line, 843-1234, for recorded information, and the University Access Channel (Chapel Hill Time Warner Cable Channel 4) along with other campus television channels.
Emergency Warning Committee
In addition to warning about the immediate dangers and very serious threats discussed above, the Emergency Warning Committee may also distribute to members of the campus community warnings about criminal activity, information about campus security procedures, safety tips or instructions to avoid risks, and information about certain disease incidents (for example a reported case of meningitis) and related health precautions that should be taken. These communications may be shared in ways including updates on campus Web pages; campus-wide e-mail or voice mail; posters and flyers; face-to-face notification in residence halls, on-campus apartments, or workplace settings; as well as through campus and Triangle area news media. Several campus offices and departments work closely together to communicate to students, faculty and staff. They include the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Housing and Residential Education, the Office of Human Resources and University Relations.
The level of communications about any single event is decided on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the privacy of the individuals involved, the likelihood that the criminal activity or other public safety threat will occur again, and the need not to hinder an ongoing police investigation.
The Emergency Warning Committee includes representatives from the offices of Campus Services; Communications; Emergency Management Coordinator; Environment, Health, and Safety; General Counsel; Human Resources; Information Technology; Provost; Public Safety; Research; Student Affairs; and University Relations.
Student Affairs Emergency Notification
To complement the Emergency Warning and Communication Plan, the University has established procedures for emergency notification of Student Affairs personnel in the event of a serious crime or other emergency involving a student or student group.
These procedures make it possible for Student Affairs to warn students on campus and alert other University officials. The University's Department of Public Safety, Chapel Hill and Carrboro Police, and the Orange County Sheriff's Department all have been informed about the emergency notification procedures.
The Office of the Dean of Students has a staff member on call 24 hours a day to assist with any emergencies involving students. This staff member may be accessed by calling 966-4042 during business hours or by contacting Public Safety at 962-8100 after hours and weekends.
The Department of Housing and Residential Education has a live-in professional staff member on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist with emergencies in residence halls. The best way to contact the professional staff on-call is to contact Public Safety at 962-8100. Provide your name and contact information so the live-in professional staff on-call can respond accordingly.
Emergency Preparedness and Safety Plans
In the event of an emergency there are response and communication plans in place that will be activated. These plans are coordinated with other Orange County emergency response agencies and have been tested in joint training drills that included UNC Hospitals, which is one of the state's six regional sites designated to respond to any terrorist incident. The University also constantly receives the most up-to-date information available on risks as well as threats, and prepares accordingly.
University staff are trained and equipped to respond first to hazardous materials emergencies on campus. In an emergency, campus Housing and Residential Education staff and other University professionals also are prepared to provide support to students, faculty, and staff. In addition, the University has an Emergency Operations Center to assure centralized and coordinated management of an emergency. The center will be immediately activated if any threat occurs on or near campus; if the United States experiences a terrorist attack; or if the government ever elevates the Homeland Security Advisory System to its highest risk level of red, meaning "severe."
Prepare to "Shelter in Place" in an Emergency
Each University building has an evacuation plan that is administered through the emergency coordinator’s position in the department of Environment, Health and Safety and emergency coordinators of individual buildings. If it is necessary to evacuate a selected building or an area of campus, the Department of Public Safety will assist in conjunction with other local responding agencies. In lieu of an all-campus evacuation plan, however, the University has opted for a shelter-in-place plan.
If a campus emergency involves the release of hazardous materials, the University community should expect to be directed via numerous forms of communication to remain inside or to take shelter indoors on campus in the closest building where toxic vapors are reduced or eliminated. Doing so will help eliminate any uncertainty outside.
Similarly, the University will be directed to “shelter in place” if a tornado is spotted in the vicinity of campus, or if there is an active shooter / gunman who is a current threat to the campus.
To "shelter in place" - or stay in a safe place protected from the hazard - close doors and windows. Move to an interior room away from as many windows as possible. It may take time for local authorities or University officials to advise about what is happening. Remain in shelter until University officials notify you that it is safe to leave. Until then, do not try to contact parents or friends to come to campus to pick you up. Tell your family now that you expect to seek shelter on campus during a hazardous materials or other emergency.
Make plans now for your own emergency communications. Familiarize yourself with the Alert Carolina website (http://alertcarolina.unc.edu). Discuss those plans with co-workers, classmates, roommates, parents and friends. If necessary, arrange for back up care of family members who would need special assistance. If such an emergency occurs when you are at home, do not come to campus until officials announce that it is safe to do so.
When an emergency happens, students should follow these same procedures while in residence halls, campus apartments or off-campus accommodations. Housing and Residential Education staff, on call 24 hours daily, seven days a week, will implement "shelter in place," provide directions and share information updates as they are available from University officials.
Stay Alert
Watch for strangers or anyone who seems to be acting suspiciously. If you see anything raising your concern - including unattended bags, backpacks, cars or other vehicles - call the Department of Public Safety at 911 by landline or cell phone. Keep building doors and windows locked when a building is not open for business. If you see an unsecured building, report it to Public Safety by calling 962-8100.
20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(8)(A) and (B)
(A)Each institution of higher education…shall develop and distribute as part of the report… a statement of policy regarding—(i) such institutions’ campus sexual assault programs, which shall be aimed at prevention of sex offenses; and (ii) the procedures followed once a sex offense has occurred.
(B) The policy described in subparagraph (A) shall address the following areas: (i) Education programs to promote the awareness of rape, acquaintance rape, and other sex offenses; (ii) Possible sanctions to be imposed following the final determination of an on-campus disciplinary procedure regarding rape, acquaintance rape, or other sex offenses, forcible or non-forcible; (iii) Procedures students should follow if a sex offense occurs, including who should be contacted, the importance of preserving evidence as may be necessary to the proof of criminal sexual assault, and to whom the alleged offense should be reported; (iv) Procedures for on-campus disciplinary action in cases of alleged sexual assault, which shall include a clear statement that—(I) the accuser and the accused are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present during a campus disciplinary proceeding; and (II) both the accuser and the accused shall be informed of the outcome of any campus disciplinary proceeding brought alleging a sexual assault. (v) Informing students of their options to notify proper law enforcement authorities, including on-campus and local police, and the option to be assisted by campus authorities in notifying such authorities, if the student so chooses. (vi) Notification of students of existing counseling, mental health or student services for victims of sexual assault, both on campus and in the community; (vii) Notification of students of options for, and available assistance in, changing academic and living situations after an alleged sexual assault incident, if so requested by the victim and if such changes are reasonably available.
Programs
The Office of the Dean of Students (DOS) and Counseling and Wellness Services, along with various departments and organizations across campus, offer community education programs for students about sexual assault and related issues. Students also may report incidents of sexual assault to DOS, Academic Advising, the LGBTQ Center or to the Carolina Women’s Center. The Office of the Dean of Students also publishes a resource card that is made available to all students.
Visit the Office of the Dean of Students, located in Suite 1106 of the Student Academic Services Building, or check the web site at http://deanofstudents.unc.edu for more information.
Counseling and Wellness Services, within Campus Health Services, offers regularly updated programs on developing life skills for student success. The Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coordinator coordinates prevention-focused programs addressing violence, date and acquaintance rape, male/female communications and other wellness topics. Alcohol and other drug education programs also offer complementary program content to address the issues of violence and rape.
Peer-mentoring programs have been developed to address issues such as education and decision-making skills regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs, dealing with violence and developing primary relationships. DOS and the Carolina Women’s Center sponsor HAVEN training to help faculty, staff, and students become informed allies for those affected by sexual and relationship violence.
For information on Rape Aggression Defense training and other self-defense classes, please see the section on crime prevention programs elsewhere in this report.
If a sexual assault occurs: important information for victims
Sexual assault victims are strongly urged to seek medical treatment. Most treatment for students at either Campus Health Services or UNC Hospitals can be paid for by the Victim’s Assistance Fund. If a victim is not sure whether he or she wants to prosecute the assailant, the evidence still can be collected in case the victim later decides to bring criminal charges. If a victim seeks medical assistance, Campus Health Service or hospital personnel can, at the victim's request, call in the police. If a victim first reports the assault to police officials, they can transport the victim to medical assistance. Sexual assault is a crime, and the victim of a sexual assault always has the right to report it to the police. A victim who wishes to report a sexual assault to police should notify the law enforcement agency in whose jurisdiction the assault occurred. In the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, notify the following agencies if the assault occurs:
If a victim needs assistance in reporting a sexual assault to local law enforcement authorities, various University agencies can help. (For more information, please see the section on the University’s Sexual Assault Response Plan below.) If a student has been sexually assaulted outside the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, the University police, on request, will help the victim contact the proper law enforcement agency in order to report the assault.
Campus disciplinary procedures — sexual assault
In addition to pursuing criminal charges against an alleged assailant through the N.C. court system, if the alleged assailant is a University student, a complainant of sexual assault also has the option of pursuing formal disciplinary action under the Honor Code.
Section II.C.1.b. of the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance defines sexual misconduct as:
i. Deliberate touching of another’s sexual parts without consent;
ii. Deliberate sexual invasion of another without consent;
iii. Deliberate constraint or incapacitation of another, without that person’s knowledge or consent, so as to put another at substantially increased risk of sexual injury; or
iv. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that expressly or implicitly imposes conditions upon, threatens, interferes with, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or demeaning environment for an individual’s
(I) academic pursuits,
(II) University employment,
(III) participation in activities sponsored by the University or organizations or groups related to the University, or
(IV) opportunities to benefit from other aspects of University life.
If the victim decides to institute Honor System proceedings against the alleged assailant, the student attorney general conducts a preliminary investigation to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to charge the accused with the offense of sexual misconduct. If a charge is made, a hearing will be held before either a student court or a University Hearings Board (composed of faculty, students and an administrative chair), to determine whether the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the alleged misconduct.
Several special procedures apply during sexual misconduct hearings:
(a) was between the alleged complainant and the accused;
(b) is evidence of specific instances of sexual behavior offered for the purpose of showing that the act or acts charged were not committed by the accused;
(c) is evidence of an occurrence or occurrences of sexual behavior so distinctive and so closely resembling the accused's version of the alleged encounter with the alleged victim as to tend to prove that the alleged victim consented to the act or acts charged; or
(d) is evidence of sexual behavior offered as the basis of expert psychological or psychiatric opinion that the alleged victim fantasized or invented the act or acts charged.
The Office of the Dean of Students notifies both the complainant and the accused of the results of the hearing, including any sanctions imposed by the court in the case of a guilty verdict. In accordance with the N.C. Public Records Act, if the accused is found guilty, the office of the Dean of Students, on request, will make public the name of the accused, the violation committed, and the sanction imposed.
The minimum sanction for a violation of Section II.C.1.b. is indefinite suspension for at least two full academic semesters. If the court believes expulsion is the appropriate sanction, it may recommend that sanction to the Chancellor, but only the Chancellor may impose the sanction of expulsion.
Students are welcome to come discuss the Honor System process with a member of the Dean of Students staff before making a decision as whether to file a complaint with the Honor System.
Assistance for survivors of sexual assault
The University has a Sexual Assault Response Plan to provide a cooperative course of action in the event a student is sexually assaulted.
The response plan identifies specific University agencies (Campus Health Service, Counseling and Wellness Services, University Police Services, Office of the Dean of Students, Department of Housing and Residential Education, academic deans and advisors and others) that can provide support to a student who is sexually assaulted.
In addition to providing service particular to its area of responsibility, a response plan agency makes every effort to inform survivors of other services available at the University and services in the local community, such as the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, that may complement University services. At the student's request, response plan agencies will help the student who has been assaulted contact an agency from which he or she wishes to seek assistance. Training is required for all University agencies that provide services to Carolina students who are sexually assaulted. The training includes general information regarding sexual assault and the provisions of the University Response Plan for Incidents of Sexual Assault Involving UNC-CH Students and is facilitated by the Office of the Dean of Students.
If the victim lives in campus housing and wishes to move to another residence hall or on-campus apartment, the Department of Housing and Residential Education will make every effort to assist if there is a vacancy available. If the victim wishes to move off-campus following the assault, the Department of Housing and Residential Education will release him or her from the housing contract and prorate housing costs accordingly. If the victim lives off-campus and wishes to move on campus, the Department of Housing and Residential Education will make every effort to accommodate requests as space is available.
The Department of Housing and Residential Education also provides several safe spaces in campus housing for temporary use. These spaces are located in residence halls and on-campus apartments and provide the option for a support person to accompany the victim until other arrangements are confirmed. Arrangements for safe space are made by contacting the live-in professional staff member on-call. The best way to contact the live-in professional staff on-call is to contact Public Safety at 962-8100. Provide your name and contact information so the live-in professional staff on-call can respond to you.
Survivors who need academic assistance (extension of time to complete class work; withdrawal from a course; section change, if available; etc.) as the result of a sexual assault may obtain help from academic deans. Staff members in the Office of the Dean of Students are available to assist the victim in contacting the appropriate academic area.
For more information about the response plan, you may contact the Office of the Dean of Students in Suite 1106 of the Student Academic Services Building by calling 966-4042 or through e-mail at dos@unc.edu A copy of the response plan is available on the web at http://deanofstudents.unc.edu/ (Click on Policies, then click on Sexual Assault Response Plan.)
Date and Acquaintance Rape --Alcohol, Rohypnol, GHB and Other Drugs
There has been widespread publicity about the “date-rape” drugs Rohypnol and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate). However, these are not the only drugs people should be on guard against. Ketamine, Ecstasy, and other drugs are all sometimes used to make people more vulnerable to sexual assault. And it is important to know that alcohol by itself is currently the most common date-rape drug.
Using alcohol, or any other substance, to make someone vulnerable to sexual assault is a felony offense as well as a violation of the Honor Code. If a person is not capable of giving consent to sex, having sex with that person is legally considered sexual assault.
In addition to alcohol, Rohypnol, GHB, Ketamine, and Ecstasy can all be used to intoxicate people to the point of incapacitation. These substances are black market drugs, often made in “basement laboratories” increasing the risk for contamination, overdose and other physical dangers. They are most commonly mixed into an alcoholic beverage, but they can be mixed into any drink. Victims unknowingly consume the beverage and become helpless and unable to defend themselves. Victims may also be left unable to remember anything that happened near the time of consumption.
The federal government has strictly prohibited the medical or other use of Rohypnol. Dispensing the drug, including putting it into someone's drink or food without that person's knowledge, is a federal crime, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Simple possession of the drug is punishable by up to three years in prison.
Persons who use GHB, Ketamine, or Ecstasy to victimize others can be charged with serious felonies. These drugs are widely available, and their use has been linked to deaths and serious illnesses in incidents across the country. Drugs and alcohol make you more vulnerable to robbery, sexual assault and other crimes.
Campus Health Services provides medical attention, education and counseling regarding various substances. Survivors of sexual assault can elect to have evidence collected which may include urine and blood samples for drug testing. Different drugs are detectable for different time periods so it is important to get these tests collected as soon as possible after suspected exposure. If drug screening is part of a report with law enforcement and if the District Attorney after the review of the evidence determines that drug testing is indicated to build a legal case, then those tests are free. As an alternative, Campus Health Service can provide, on a fee-for-service basis, confidential drug testing as long as the ordered tests are within the acceptable time frame.
Some points to remember:
If you find that you are more intoxicated than you should be, given the amount of alcohol you have consumed, or if you experience symptoms that are not normally associated with alcohol, contact Campus Health Services (966-2281), or 911.
If you have questions about your or a friend’s potential exposure to a date rape substance, feel free to contact Women’s Health Clinic at Campus Health Services (966-3650), Counseling and Wellness Services (966-3658), or Office of the Dean of Students (966-4042). For more information about services offered at Campus Health Services, check out the Campus Health Services website http://campushealth.unc.edu Information about what to do in the case of an immediate concern is available by clicking on “sexual assault response” on the menu under medical services.
The Campus Health Services, Counseling and Wellness Services, Office of the Dean of Students and Campus Police all provide ongoing training and outreach education on this topic. These offices have regularly updated paper and electronic resources on prevention and response.
The sixteen-member Pedestrian Safety Committee, formed in the spring of 2000, met monthly throughout the academic year, focused its attention on various pedestrian safety issues and worked toward finding solutions to this serious problem.
A subcommittee of the Pedestrian Safety Committee formed four years ago, the Pedestrian Safety Technical Committee, continued to study and provide information regarding new construction projects and how they will affect pedestrian safety in their respective areas. Plans were implemented to address pedestrian areas impacted by construction such as: the changing of the right turn lane from South Columbia Street onto South Road; the impact of the temporary lane change at Manning Drive and Hibbard Drive; the movement of the Student Union crosswalk after the Student Store renovation; and future changes for the South Road pedestrian area.
The Department of Public Safety’s Traffic and Pedestrian Safety (TAPS) Unit was renamed the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Team and now falls under the newly formed Community Response Unit. The Team is comprised of three full-time police officers and founded through a partnership between the University and the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program. The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Team has continued to focus its efforts toward creating a safer pedestrian environment at UNC-Chapel Hill. These officers devote attention to addressing pedestrian safety matters as well as various traffic safety issues. In addition to simply enforcing pedestrian safety and speed limit laws, these officers work with the Highway Safety Research Center in developing, implementing, and promoting programs about pedestrian safety education and awareness through various initiatives throughout campus. One of the many initiatives include two “Yield 2 Heels” Pedestrian Awareness and Safety events per year (March 26, 2008 and one scheduled for October 17, 2008). Since January 18, 2006, the Team has continued its focus on Pedestrian Violation Enforcement. The campaign consisted of police officers monitoring high pedestrian traffic areas and violations committed by pedestrians. (March 25, 2009 and one scheduled for September 30, 2009). Since January 18, 2006, the Team has continued their focus on Pedestrian Violation Enforcement. The on-going efforts consist of police officers monitoring high pedestrian traffic areas and violations committed by pedestrians. Over the past year, the Community Response Unit conducted 46 such safety programs, established more than 390 new liaison contacts regarding traffic, pedestrian, and bicycle safety throughout the University community, and the Pedestrian Safety Team issued more than 134 of the department’s total 202 speed-related citations to campus drivers.
The newest tool in the effort to enhance pedestrian safety on the UNC campus is the SpeedSentry radar system which is used to help monitor motorists’ different rates of speed on campus. The mobile, pole-mounted device helps the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Team gather information regarding traffic flow on different campus roadways. The equipment shows passing motorists’ speeds with up to an 18-inch high display while collecting volume and speed data.
In 2007, Team officers began using new Lidar guns to monitor individual vehicles’ speeds isolated from within a stream of traffic. Unlike RADAR which relies on Doppler shifts to directly measure speed, police Lidar relies on laser technology to identify violators and calculate speed. It reflects the latest advancement in police speed enforcement.
To report a problem related to Pedestrian Safety, contact the University’s Pedestrian Safety Hotline at 843-PEDS or contact the Community Response Unit (CRU) supervisor, Lieutenant Tom Twiddy, at ltwiddy@psafetly.unc.edu.
Rabies virus is capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals and the infection is almost always fatal. The disease has moved rapidly into the state’s wild animal population in the last 15 years. During the 1990s there was a steady increase of confirmed rabies cases in the North Carolina wild animal population. In 1990 there were 10 confirmed cases in the state, and the numbers climbed to 879 confirmed cases in 1997. The epidemic has since continued, and between January 1, 2001 and July 31, 2008 there have been 4,371 confirmed cases of rabies in North Carolina. In Orange County, there have been 134 cases (90 in raccoons, 15 in bats, 13 in skunks, 3 in dogs, and 12 in foxes) in that time period. While there have been no rabies cases in cats in Orange County in this time period, it should be emphasized that cats are more commonly infected than are dogs primarily due to cats being allowed to spend large amounts of time outdoors while unrestrained.
Students, employees and others on campus need to be aware of the epidemic, take precautions against infection, and know what to do if they see a suspicious animal or come into contact with one. Anyone who sees an animal displaying any abnormal behavior should immediately call the Department of Public Safety by dialing 911.
Common signs of rabies in animals include the following behaviors:
Rabies is usually transmitted through a bite. It can also be passed by scratches from an infected animal or when infected saliva or brain tissue comes into contact with open wounds or breaks in the skin or mucous membranes.
If an exposed person or animal is not treated quickly, the virus may infect the person or animal and may result in death. Rabies may be prevented by treating the exposed person with the rabies vaccine (five doses are given, one each on day 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28 after exposure). Prompt treatment with the vaccine has lead to a very low human death rate in the United States. Postexposure treatment should be considered any time there is direct contact between a human and a bat unless the exposed person can be certain a bite, scratch or mucous membrane exposure did not occur. Because a person may be unaware of a bite or scratch by a bat if the contact occurred while he or she was asleep, consider the possibility of direct contact having occurred if you awake in the morning and find a bat in the bedroom or find a bat in the room with a young child or other person who may be unable to communicate about the contact.
If you are bitten, scratched or come into contact with an animal you suspect may be rabid, in addition to contacting Public Safety or other emergency personnel, it is important to act quickly to prevent contracting the disease. Wounds received from animals should be washed thoroughly with soap and water for 10-15 minutes. Medical advice should be sought as soon as possible after the bite so the need for antibiotic therapy, rabies prophylaxis and tetanus prophylaxis can be evaluated.
Students should go to Campus Health Services. University employees on duty should go to the University Employee Occupational Health Clinic in the Health Affairs Bookstore on Medical Drive. Except on holidays, the clinic is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Employees working during shifts when the clinic is closed should follow procedures established by their department.
If exposed while off-duty, employees should call their family doctor or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.