Each individual resident of the campus residence halls has PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY for his or her own safety and security.

The University and the Department of Resident Life take certain reasonable steps that contribute to maintaining a safer and more secure environment. Staff, equipment and information resources are provided to encourage behaviors which prevent dangerous situations and to assist if an emergency should occur. However, despite these reasonable and good faith efforts, it is impossible to predict individual actions or guarantee absolute control that will assure that no unwanted acts or situations will ever occur. All the fire equipment in College Park cannot prevent a fire caused by a resident’s carelessness with a prohibited appliance or candle. Nor can all the police in College Park prevent a theft when a resident has left the room door unlocked and a wallet on the dresser while he or she is away from the room.

Remember, when one resident is careless –for example, fails to properly close and secure a building entrance door– all residents may be exposed to the consequences of this carelessness: an intruder slips in the door!

"What service does the University provide?"

Police

• 24-hour full-service Police department, including a force of 70 uniformed officers and approximately 100 Police Aides
• 911 emergency calls (police, fire, rescue, ambulance)
• dusk to dawn patrols by Police officers in marked and unmarked cars, motorcycles and bicycles
• security escorts by uniformed Police officers (24 hours) and Police Aides
• dozens of outdoor Emergency phones to call escorts or summon Police
• surveillance cameras that monitor selected on-campus locations
• “crime alerts” published when crimes are reported (to encourage crime prevention behaviors and foster a safer environment)
• crime prevention programs (personal security presentations, rape aggression defense, self-defense awareness, sexual assault awareness)
• crime statistics published every year, in compliance with federal regulations

Residence Halls

• entrance doors locked 24 hours
• access cards or keys are needed to open entrance doors, call the elevator, open doors leading to stairwells and first-floor rooms and open bedroom doors
• telephones near many entrance doors for visitors to use, then wait to be accompanied into the building
• 24-hour Service Center [(31) 4WORK] for reporting problems with doors, keys, etc. (South Campus Commons residents should report problems to the Commons Service Desk.)
• 24-hour housing desk staff for getting immediate help from a staff member
• repairs/replacements of doors, keys, locks, window screens, etc.
• nightly roves inside your building by the Resident Assistant(s) on duty
• periodic safety walk-throughs to check interior lighting, exit signs, fire doors, stairwells, etc.
• unit meetings, educational programs, flyers and written notifications of serious incidents

Shuttle-UM Buses

• stop outside most residence halls every 15-20 minutes 5:30pm-3am daily on fixed routes which include libraries, student union, College Park’s shopping district and dozens of campus destinations
• Shuttle-UM vans [(31) 4NITE] provide curb-to-curb service for individual callers
• bus drive-throughs of main roads and parking lots 5:30pm-7am daily

Personal Safety Precautions

• walk with friends or in a group or call for an escort
• ride Shuttle-UM buses after dark, or call (31) 4NITE for curb-to-curb service by Shuttle-UM vans
• walk in well-lit and well-traveled areas
• constantly be aware of your surroundings
• know the locations of the nearest Emergency phones (Police dispatcher answers)
• be wary of persons you don’t know
• report suspicious persons or activity to Police
• stay away from relatively isolated areas
• plan what you will do if confronted by a potential assailant (run, scream, fight, try to gain his/her confidence while waiting for safe escape opportunity)

Residence Hall Security Precautions

• keep your room door locked, when you’re asleep or down the hall in the shower or visiting floormates
• carry your keys with you at all times
• make sure doors close and latch behind you
• confront persons you don’t know; if you can’t confront, report
• report suspicious persons or activity to Police and to your service desk/any staff member
• avoid isolated areas inside residence halls
• report damaged or malfunctioning doors, locks, etc. to Residential Facilities [(31) 4WORK]; South Campus Commons residents should report problems to the Commons Service Desk
• report “salespeople” or “solicitors” to your service desk; they don’t belong on your floor
• don’t let your guests wander the building
• don’t prop doors open
• don’t open doors for workers; University staff who have business in your building should have made arrangements to gain access

Saftey & Security section pages:1,2,3