Crime Prevention & Personal Safety

Introduction

The Alamo Colleges Police Department was organized and commisioned for the safety and protection of the college community; to insure its orderly day-to-day operation, to render aid, provide assistance, and maintaine conditions conductive to the pursuit of learning. 

Campus police are on duty twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. They are armed uniformed Police Officers, in a marked vehicle, on foot or on bike; they are equipped with two-way radios with interoperablity with the San Antonio Police Department, San Antonio Fire Department/EMS, Bexar County Sheriff's Department and other necessary equipment to efficiently do their job. While we are looking for overt acts of individual's that would be injurous or damaging to others, we urge the students, faculty, and staff to assist by:

1. Obeying the laws and rules 
2. Reporting any criminal act or incident you might witness to include injury or loss you might experience 
3. Avoiding any unnecessary risk or dangers clude injury

The Police Department employs twenty-four hour dispatching and is able to get assistance to students, facuty and staff in a prompt manner. The emergency dispatch number is 210-485-0911 

Crimes

What crimes could be committed on campus

• Crimes Against Persons: Rape, Robbery, Assault 
• Crimes Against Property: Burglary of offices,, buildings, classrooms, labs, gym lockers, filing cabinets, vehicles in parking lots 
• Thefts: Vehicles (includes bikes and motorcycles), purses, wallets, books, jewelry, cash, credit cards, College property 
• Arson 
• Criminal Mischief / Criminal Trespass 

The Alamo Colleges Police Department Officers should be alerted to the presence of any suspicious persons or activity on campus. Remember that the patrol officer cannot be everywhere at once. Some of the suspicious activities that should be reported on campus are:

• Any struggle or what appears to be a person being forced into a vehicle 
• A broken window in a classroom, building, or vehicle 
• The sound of breaking glass in parking lots 
• Someone looking inside cars or trying to open car doors 
• If you observe someone you do not recognize in a sensitive security area
• A car driving around repeatedly in a parking lot casing out cars 
• Loitering in or around buildings or parking lots 

These questions must be answered if the officer is to be effective in handling the situation. When reporting an incident, please do not hang up on the dispatcher until the dispatcher states that there is sufficient information to relay to the officers in the field. The reason for the call back phone number is to contact you for further infromation when the officer files his/ her report.

A vehicle in a parking lot is an inviting target for theft, vandalism or burglary. To minimize the risk of these crimes:

• Remove ignition key 
• Lock all doors 
• Secure all windows 
• Avoid leaving valuables in the vehicle, if you must, lock them in the trunk before departing your home 
• Use anti-theft locks 
• Consider installing an alarm system 
• Record serial numbers of all radio, stereo or the other equipment 
• Report suspicious activity in parking lots 

When parking your vehicle:

• Consider whether it will be dark when you return and select a place that will be well lit and not deserted
• Check for loiters before leaving and when entering
• Remove keys from the ignition when you leave your car, even for just a minute
• Lock car doors
• Have keys ready when returning to your vehicle
• Check the backseat before getting into your vehicle
• Never pick up a hitchhiker
• Should you return to the location where your vehicle had been parked and discover it missing, immediately notify Campus Police to file a report.

Crimes often occur in clusters. If you report a crime or the suspicion of a crime you might prevent the next.

Contact the Police Department immediately whenever you see or hear something suspicious or unusual. The Police Department will respond to all reports of suspicious activity. Your call could prevent a crime against a friend, neighbor, or yourself.

To combat unwanted phone calls (obscene, harassing, threatening, etc) the Police Department offers the following suggestions:

• Hang up without giving a response or reaction.
• Report unwanted calls to your phone company
• Document all unwanted calls as to date, time, nature of call, background noises
• Don't provide personal info (date of birth, social security number, credit card info) over the phone
• Use your answering machine to screen calls and save unwanted messages for evidence

• Think first, then take action; remain as calm as possible
• Move away from the potential threat
• Don't be afraid to let the assailant know you recognize the potential threat
• Join a group of people nearby
• Go to a well-lit public place and call the police immediately
• If you see someone else in trouble, call the police
• After you have avoided a threat or crime, report the incident to the Campus Police office
• If you believe a threat is eminent and you can see people nearby; yell, scream, and create a commotion to attract attention and run toward any crowd of people

• Use route where there will be a lot of people
• Walk aggressively, briskly and keep going
• Walk on the side of the street facing oncoming traffic
• Avoid traveling the same route every day
• Have your keys to your home/car ready as you approach
• If you are dropped off, ask the driver to wait until you're safely inside
• Avoid walking up to a vehicle window to respond to a question from someone within
• Suggest you are in a hurry to meet someone who is already on the way to pick you up
• If a stranger tries to encourage you in conversation, before stopping to talk, glance about to make sure you are not alone - use good judgement
• Walk in the center of the sidewalk away from the buildings, doorways, hedges, and parked vehicles-especially those occupied with passengers inside the vehicles

• Avoid sudden movement
• Do exactly what the assailant demands
• Get a complete description of the assailant without being obvious, including weapon and direction the person/vehicle fled
• If you believe the assailant is going to kill you no matter what you do, use any defense method you can think of: screaming, kicking, running; your objective is to get away. In this situation you have nothing to lose. It is a matter of survival.

Rape and sexual assault can occur at any time to anyone regardless of: Age, Sex, Physical Appearance, and Type of Dress. A defense strategy that saves a victim in one strategy might encourage the assailant in another. You personally will have to decide what kind of defense you are capable of using if you are attacked. We recommend you attend some of the rape seminars held on campus through the year or one of the seminars held in our community.

If you are a victim of rape The identity of any victim of a sex crime is kept in the strictest of confidence. It will be your choice whether or not to file a complaint. The police will do everything possible to assist. It is important to notify the Police Department regardless of whether or not you wish to file a complaint because the police can

• Provide immediate safety
• Possibly apprehend the rapist
• Help you get immediate medical attention
• Help you get counseling
• Transport to a medical facility

• No lock works unless you use it
• Keep your office door locked at all times
• Install a deadbolt lock
• Do not leave office unattended
• Mark all books, backpacks, cell phones, etc. with name and driver’s license number
• Keep emergency numbers near the phone
• Lock windows accessible from the outside
• Do not loan keys to your office, desk and files to anyone
• Report all stolen books to local bookstore, and campus police
• Guard your personal belongings at all times (jewelry, purses, wallets, etc.)