Safety Tips & Tools

Following the precautions outlined in this section can substantially enhance your sense of security.

General:

• BE AWARE – Recognize your vulnerability.
• Report all suspicious persons, vehicles, and activities to Campus Security IMMEDIATELY.
• Use the “buddy system”, and watch out for your neighbour. If you see someone being victimized, get involved and notify Campus Security at 819-822-9711.

Walking:

•  Avoid travelling alone after dark.
• Confine walking to well-lighted, regularly travelled walks and pathways. Avoid short-cuts and keep away from shrubbery, bushes, alleyways, or any other areas where an assailant might be lurking.
• Don’t hitchhike or accept rides from casual acquaintances.
• Report lights that are out and any other hazardous conditions.
• When walking to your vehicles or residences, have your keys ready in hand.
• When being dropped off at your residence by taxi or private vehicle, ask the driver to wait until you get inside.
• If threatened by a vehicle which follows you, change direction to force the vehicle to turn.
• When getting out of a car or off a public conveyance, take a look around to make sure that you are not being followed.
• If you think you are being followed, cross the street and, if necessary, keep crossing back and forth. If you are pursued, scream and run to a lighted business or residence; enlist the aid of a passerby; flag down a passing motorist; or, as a last resort, break a window in a residence or pull a fire alarm. Do anything that might attract attention or summon assistance.
• If you find yourself confronted by an individual, you must remember that while screaming and struggling may in some instances frighten off the individual, in other instances such actions may further antagonize the individual and bring forth a more violent reaction. Above all you must keep your head and assess the situation before choosing your course of action. Whether or not the assailant is armed or has made threats against your life will, obviously, be a determining factor in your decision. The key word in this type of situation is survival.

Driving:

• Don’t pick up hitchhikers.
• Whenever possible, limit travelling to well-lighted, heavily-travelled roads.
• Keep your windows closed and doors locked.
• When stopped at traffic lights or stop signs, keep your vehicle in gear. If threatened, keep sounding your horn and drive away as soon as possible.
• Avoid stopping in poorly lighted, out-of-the-way places.
• If your vehicle breaks down, signal for assistance by raising your hood and by tying a white handkerchief to the radio antenna or door handle. Stay inside your vehicle with the windows closed and the doors locked. If a roadside Samaritan stops, roll down your window just enough to talk and ask that he just calls the police. If the person appears to be a threat, keep sounding your horn and flashing your lights until he leaves.
• If you think you are being followed, keep out of desolate areas. Look for a place where there are people, then stop and let the vehicle behind pass you.
• If the vehicle continues to follow, drive to the nearest location where you can get assistance, ie., gas stations, shopping centres, police or fire stations, etc.
• If you are followed into your driveway or parking lot, stay locked inside your vehicle until you can identify the occupants of the vehicle. If threatened, keep sounding the horn until you attract attention or the vehicle leaves.
• When parking at night, choose well-lighted areas. Before getting out of your vehicle, check for people loitering.
• Always remove your ignition keys. Lock the vehicle whenever it is unattended.
• Before entering your vehicle, always check the interior, paying particular attention to the floor and rear seat.

Residences:

• Keep the door(s) to your residence and windows accessible from the outside locked at all times.
• Never sleep in an unlocked room.
• Don’t put your name and address on your key rings.
• Don’t keep your residence and vehicle keys on the same ring.
• If you lose the keys to your residence, on-campus students should notify the Residence Office immediately.
• Women living alone should not use the prefixes Ms., Miss, or Mrs. on their doors or mailboxes. Instead, use the first initial and last name. This is also advisable for telephone directory listings.
• Don’t study in poorly-lighted, secluded areas.
• Don’t let strangers in to use your telephone. Offer to make the call for them or direct them to a public telephone.
• If you receive obscene or harassing telephone calls, or several calls with no one on the other end, immediately notify Campus Security.
• If you find that your room has been entered, don’t go inside. Go to a neighbour and call Campus Security. If you are already inside, don’t touch anything. In so doing, you may disturb evidence that is important to a police investigation.
• If you are awakened by an intruder inside your room, common sense may dictate pretending you’re still asleep. You should not attempt to apprehend the individual.
• If you see a suspicious person or vehicle on campus, immediately contact Campus Security. Try to get the licence plate number.
• Students in campus housing particularly are advised against blocking open the entrance to Residence buildings or other university buildings. Defective locks on windows and doors should be reported.

The most frequent illegal activities on the Bishop’s University campus are crimes of opportunity such as theft. Most thefts occur when property is left in unlocked and unattended areas. In an attempt to alleviate this problem, Campus Security makes the following additional suggestions:

• Avoid bringing large amounts of cash or other valuables to campus or your residence.
• Keep items of value out of sight.
• Never lend the key to your residence or room.
• Don’t hide keys under mats, above doors, in mailboxes, or anywhere else where they can be easily found.
• If you live in a Residence, take your room key into the shower with you. Don’t leave it in your robe or other clothing, where someone going through your pockets can find it.
• Check with your family insurance agent to determine if your property is covered under your parents’ homeowner’s insurance. If not, you should consider purchasing insurance or asking your parents to extend theirs.
• When leaving your residence unattended, give it the “occupied” look: Don’t leave notes advertising your absence.  When gone after dark, leave a light and a radio or television on. Take the time to check that all windows and doors are secure.  Leave shades and blinds partly open.

• Avoid use of athletic facilities alone, especially after dark or during off-hours.
• Use the “buddy system”. Work out with a friend, and make arrangements to go to and from the gym together.
• Confine your running and jogging to the daylight hours and to open, well- travelled areas.
• Make sure the entrances to the women’s locker room are locked upon entering and leaving.
• Avoid showering if you are alone in the locker room. Shower back at your residence.
• If there is another woman in the locker room, ask her to wait for you.
• If you encounter a male intruder inside the women’s locker room: Scream for help, keep out of the intruder’s way, and do not attempt to prevent him from leaving. Formulate a description of the intruder in your mind. Notify Campus Security by dialling 819-822-9711 or ext. 711.
• Report all incidents of voyeurism to Campus Security immediately.

For Protecting your Property:

• Avoid bringing cash, wallets, watches, or other valuables to the athletic facilities.
• Avoid storing valuable sports equipment in your locker.
• Keep your locker locked whenever unattended. This includes those times when you leave briefly to shower, visit the trainer’s or the equipment room, etc. Most of the thefts at the athletic facilities are from unlocked lockers.

Invest in a good bicycle lock or in a strong padlock and chain. Chains should be case-hardened steel with links at least 5/8″ in diameter.

Always lock your bicycle. Bicycles should be locked around the frame and through both wheels to a bicycle rack.

Find out if your bicycle is covered under your parents’ insurance policy. If not, it would be advisable to insure it.

If, while waiting for an elevator, you find yourself alone with a stranger, let that person take the elevator and wait for its return.

If you are on an elevator with someone who makes you feel uneasy, get off at the next floor.

Always stand near the control panel, where you have access to the alarm and floor buttons.

• Report all suspicious persons or vehicles seen around parking areas to Campus Security immediately.
• Keep your vehicle locked and the windows rolled up tight.
• Never leave your vehicle running when unattended.
• When parking, choose a well-lighted, heavily trafficked area.
• Packages, luggage, and other valuables should be locked in the trunk.
• Stereo systems and C.B. radios should be mounted either out of sight or with slide-out brackets. These brackets will permit the removal of the unit for taking with you or for securing in the trunk when the vehicle is unattended. C.B. radio antennas should be magnetic or detachable, and should also be stored in the trunk or taken with you.
• Stereo systems and other auto accessories should be marked with your Social Insurance Number.
• Keep spare keys in your wallet or purse, not inside the vehicle where the professional thief can easily find them.
• Consider the installation of anti-theft devices, such as alarm systems; protectors such as steering wheel to brake pedal bar locks, tapered door lock buttons, and locks on hoods and accessory items, such as gas caps, mag wheels, spare tires etc.

Do not keep — in the residences or on campus — firearms, hunting knives, machetes, or any other lethal weapon which could inflict bodily harm. Being in possession of any item considered dangerous may result in dismissal from residence and/or University.

Your involvement is essential to the prevention of crime on campus. Disinterest and complacency are the prime contributors to the success of crime. The burden of crime prevention rests not only with the Security Department but also with each member of the Bishop’s University/Champlain College community. Security is everybody’s business.

Campus Security is not omnipresent, and therefore is dependent upon you to recognize and report incidents of suspicious and criminal activity. The extent of your cooperation will greatly influence Campus Security’s effectiveness in combating crime. Doing your part means:

1. BEING AWARE of your vulnerability and following the suggestions outlined on the Security website to protect yourself and your property.

2. BEING ALERT for suspicious or criminal activity and conditions that may represent a hazard to the community.

3. GETTING INVOLVED by becoming more security conscious and by reporting all incidents of criminal or suspicious activity, no matter how insignificant, to Campus Security immediately.

Remember that unreported crimes cannot be solved, and that by not reporting crimes you allow the perpetrators an opportunity to commit additional and perhaps more serious crimes.

Many times crime solving depends upon how accurately and promptly the incident is reported. Therefore, when reporting an incident, it is important that you be able to provide as much of the following information as possible:

• Nature of the incident.
• When the incident occurred.
• Where the incident occurred.
• Persons involved (names, sex, race, age, height, hair style/colour, complexion, distinctive characteristics, i.e., facial features, scars, physical defects, glasses, clothing, etc.).
• Direction and method of travel.
• Vehicles involved (colour, type, make, model, licence plate number and province, distinctive characteristics, i.e., decals, bumper stickers, damage, number of occupants, etc.)
• Description of stolen property (item, manufacturer, model number, serial number, value, colour, dimensions, etc.)
• Any other applicable information.