Safety First, Safety Always
03-05-08 Shooting at Student Residence Complex in Maryland
On February 29, 2008, at approximately 2 p.m., Hyattsville City police responded to a report of a shooting at the Towers at University Town Center in Prince George’s County, Maryland. When officers arrived, they found an individual in an apartment with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he died a short time later. The victim was visiting a resident at the Towers. Police do not believe this was a random crime; however, they cannot comment on motive due to the ongoing investigation.
The Towers at University Town Center provides housing for approximately 900 students who are enrolled at 13 D.C.-area universities including Howard, American and Maryland. Approximately 55 students from CUA live there. The shooting incident did not involve any CUA students.
Detective Brian Selway, who is investigating the shooting, and Kim Moss, the director of community operations, hosted a safety awareness meeting on Saturday, March 1, at the Towers. This meeting was designed to inform students about safety precautions and provided an outlet to discuss the incident and ask questions. Heidi Zeich, CUA director of housing services, attended the meeting. Ms. Zeich learned that all residents will be notified by the management of the Towers once an arrest is made in this case. A second meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 5, at 5:30 p.m. for those who were unable to attend the March 1 meeting.
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02-16-08 Suspected Brookland Shooter is Killed
The Associated Press reports that the person suspected of shooting a U.S. marshal in Brookland yesterday (see below) was killed in a firefight with law enforcement authorities in Laurel, Maryland, today. A law enforcement officer was wounded in today's exchange.
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02-15-08 Gunman Flees Brookland after Shooting U.S. Marshal
The Metropolitan Police Department informed Catholic University's Department of Public
Safety this afternoon that at 1:24 p.m, while being served a warrant, a gunman shot a U.S. marshal in the area of 7th and Irving streets in the Brookland neighborhood. The suspect was last seen fleeing on the railroad tracks east of campus. When CUA administrators learned of the shooting, students in Spellman and Conaty residence halls – the areas of campus closest to the shooting -- were informed at around 2 p.m. to stay in their buildings and exercise caution. After about 20 minutes the alert was lifted. There is no evidence to suggest that the gunman is in the area. There has been a significant Metropolitan Police Department presence near the south area of campus this afternoon because police have used it as a staging area for their investigation and search.
The Department of Public Safety has a heightened presence on campus and continues to monitor the perimeter of campus with its camera system. Updates will be provided as they become available.
Posted 2:50 p.m.
Updated 3:00 p.m.
Updated 3:50 p.m.
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02-08-08 Injured Student Transported to Hospital
Earlier this afternoon, a Catholic University student was injured in an accident on campus. A portion of one of his fingers was severed. He was rushed to Union Memorial Hospital, which contains the largest and most experienced hand center in the United States. A CUA classmate accompanied him in the helicopter. His parents have been notified.
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12-05-07 Fire in Residence Hall Trash Receptacle Is Quickly Extinguished
Early this morning a fire broke out in a large plastic waste receptacle in the first floor hallway of Regan Hall, a student residence hall on the east side of campus. The alarm was received at 2:51 a.m. Students were evacuated and accounted for, with no injuries. The fire alarm and sprinkler system worked properly and the fire, which was limited to the waste receptacle, was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. The District of Columbia Fire Department was on the scene, as was Very Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., university president and Director of Public Safety Thomasine Johnson. Water damage was limited to the ground and first floors. At 9:15 a.m. all residents of Regan Hall were permitted to re-occupy their rooms.
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11-19-07 Police Apprehend Carjacker
This afternoon, the police pursued a carjacked vehicle in Prince George’s County and the District of Columbia. The pursuit ended on Harewood Road near Ward Hall when the vehicle collided with a fixed object and several other automobiles. The suspected carjacker was apprehended at the scene. Preliminary indications are that no one was injured.
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11-13-07 Campus Safety Update
There has been an increase in robberies in the Fifth Police District of Washington, D.C., of which Catholic University is a part. Several of these robberies were committed against CUA students in the Brookland community.
To address these concerns, Catholic University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will host a safety awareness meeting at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15. The meeting will be held in Hannan Hall, Room 106. All CUA students as well as others members of the university community are strongly encouraged to participate in this forum and discuss their concerns.
DPS has been coordinating closely with all local police agencies, specifically MPD’s Fifth District, to address the crime situation as well as the safety of the CUA community.
The Fifth District has undergone a change in leadership and the assistant chief, commander, captains and PSA lieutenants are actively responding to the needs of the CUA and Brookland communities. In October, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced and implemented the start of Operation Full Stride, which involved placing hundreds of officers on foot patrols.
In addition, Catholic University has taken these immediate measures:
-- The number of marked patrol vehicles and foot patrols in operation has been increased.
-- DPS officers and field supervisors have been assigned to work overtime to bolster patrol visibility and strength.
-- As mentioned above, DPS and MPD will host a safety awareness meeting Nov. 15.
Capt. Linda Vann
Department of Public Safety
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10-22-07 Important Health Update for CUA Students
Late Friday afternoon, Oct. 19, 2007, Catholic University officials were notified that a CUA undergraduate student had been infected with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA or Staph. The student has been receiving appropriate treatment off campus since the time the university learned of the infection and a full recovery is expected. The student will return to campus after the risk of transmitting the infection has passed.
University staff have disinfected the areas of the residence hall in which the student normally resides that would be considered at risk for possible exposure to the bacteria.
Staph are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people and are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States. Most of these infections are minor and require little or no treatment. However, antibiotic-resistant staph or MRSA can cause very serious infections. Staph infection symptoms may look like a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen, painful or have pus or other drainage. More serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections or Toxic Shock Syndrome.
As with combating the possibility of any infection, practicing good hygiene is fundamentally important. Personal preventative measures include the following:
1. Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
2. Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
3. Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
4. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
Staph is transmitted most frequently by direct skin-to-skin contact. Remember, you can protect yourself from infections by practicing good hygiene, which is also highly recommended for the upcoming flu season. For more information on staph, cut and paste the following link -- http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_public.html -- into your browser. If you have specific questions regarding staph infections, please contact Student Health Services at x5744.
Jonathan Sawyer
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
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8/17/07 Update on Public Safety Initiatives
Dear members of The Catholic University of America community:
As we prepare for the beginning of the 2007-2008 academic year, I wanted to provide you with an update on public safety initiatives we have been engaged in since the conclusion of the spring semester. One of the most exciting is the university’s investment of more than $900,000 to enhance our public safety technology. This technology will be installed on campus in the coming weeks. Below are highlights of our recent initiatives.
Technology Upgrades
-- As part of CUA’s public safety strategy, the university entered into partnership with iXP Corporation of Lawrenceville, NJ, in February 2007 to review the existing public safety/security environment and to assess the technological enhancements to that environment which would be most beneficial for CUA.
-- In July 2007, the university initiated implementation of the first phase of recommendations suggested by iXP. This included cabling and electrical work and network upgrades as a preliminary step toward the installation of 22 “smart” closed circuit television (SCCTV) cameras in strategic locations around the campus. These cameras will permit the Department of Public Safety to monitor key areas and passageways on the campus such as the area entering and exiting the Brookland-CUA Metro station and the perimeter along Harewood Road, Michigan Avenue and John McCormack Road. Cameras will be mounted on buildings, poles and emergency phone stanchions in such a way that the aesthetic integrity of the campus will be maintained while, at the same time, making the emergency phones more visible to students as a “safe haven” and to potential criminals as a crime deterrent. These new cameras will supplement already existing security cameras on campus.
-- The SCCTV cameras will enable the Department of Public Safety to monitor, with real-time video, high-traffic areas throughout the campus. They will be accompanied by state-of-the-industry behavior recognition technology that will automatically alert public safety officers to specific camera views if unusual or suspect behavior is detected.
-- Eleven new emergency phones will also be installed in readily identifiable locations. They will include a blue emergency strobe light, the word “EMERGENCY” in large letters along the side of the stanchion, and an SCCTV camera to both deter crime and assist the Department of Public Safety in assessing an immediate threat and taking the appropriate action. These new phones will supplement existing emergency phones.
-- Every effort is being made to complete all necessary preliminary work in residence halls (i.e., electrical, cabling and network upgrades) prior to students’ arrival on Aug. 23. The emergency phones and SCCTV cameras are slated to be online and actively monitored by the Department of Public Safety by the end of September 2007.
-- The Department of Public Safety is also considering an upgrade to the new emergency phones that would enable it to broadcast emergency notifications and instructions via the phones’ speakers throughout the campus.
Crime Prevention and Safety Initiatives
-- With the return of students to campus for the fall semester, the university will re-engage the services of contract security patrols. One contract security patrol vehicle will be stationed near Conaty Hall and the other near the Metrorail entrance. Coverage will be provided from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. each day.
-- The Department of Public Safety expects to more than double the number of public safety assistants (PSAs) that it employed last year. PSAs provide service and assistance to members of the campus community. They support DPS officers by being additional eyes and ears for the department and act as a source of information, goodwill and public relations. Increasing PSA staffing will enable DPS to add Flather Hall as a new location for PSA coverage. It will also make it possible to provide 16 hours of continuous PSA coverage each day.
-- The following residence halls will be staffed by PSAs 16 hours per day, beginning at 4 p.m.:
* Spellman
* Conaty
* Flather
PSAs will also staff the desk at:
* DuFour Center
* Kane Student Health and Fitness Center
Training and Conference Attendance
-- All full-time commissioned uniform patrol officers must be recertified annually in a number of areas. CUA public safety officers successfully completed these recertifications:
* Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation
* Automatic External Defibrillator
* Non-lethal weapons and self-defense training
-- Police Cyclist Certification: 2 officers successfully completed it.
-- Campus Public Safety Institute: 2 officers successfully completed it. Successful completion of the course is required by the District of Columbia municipal regulations for an officer to qualify as a campus and university special police operator.
-- R.A.D. Systems of Self Defense, Instructor Development Course: 1 officer completed it.
-- Seminar, Emergency Management in Higher Education: This is a summit of public safety directors and select federal agency representatives to examine challenges and needs of campus law enforcement
Emergency Response Planning
-- The leadership of the Department of Public Safety has been collaborating with the District of Columbia first responders — the metropolitan police and fire departments and DC Homeland Security — to conduct an emergency drill on campus in coming months that will involve the entire Department of Public Safety and university emergency support function teams.
-- CUA was one of a number of local area universities that recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) enabling each signatory university to be included as a community in the “Alert DC” emergency notification system. This means that authorized representatives of CUA can now use the Alert DC text message system to notify members of our university community when the information they wish to send meets the criteria listed below:
* to provide emergency information
* to communicate time-sensitive crime alert information involving a serious crime against persons
For this tool to be highly effective, it is necessary for members of the CUA community to be proactive in signing up to receive Alert DC messages. Details on this can be found below, in the announcement that immediately follows this one.
In closing, I wish to reiterate a message that I have shared with you in the past. As you can see, the Department of Public Safety, in collaboration with a number of other offices on campus and with very strong support from Father David O’Connell, CUA’s president, has been working hard to enhance security at CUA. But as we have often seen in the past, safety and crime prevention often depend on wise decisionmaking and vigilance. Please remember to do the following:
-- Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings on and off campus. Use “high traffic” routes. Avoid short cuts through isolated areas.
-- Help us help you by contacting us at x5111 if you see suspicious individuals or suspicious activities on campus.
Thank you.
Thomasine Johnson
Director of Public Safety
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8-13-07 Catholic University Offers Emergency Text Message Notifications Through "Alert DC"
Following the shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University on April 16, Very Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., authorized university officials to add instant text messaging to the array of emergency notification tools to be employed for alerting members of the campus community of imminent danger. After a careful review of all the available text messaging options, the university’s Department of Public Safety, Center for Planning and Information Technology, Office of the Dean of Students, and Office of Public Affairs decided that the most effective way of providing emergency text messaging to students, faculty, staff, parents of students and friends of the university is through the “Alert DC” system established by the D.C. government’s Department of Homeland Security.
The benefits of choosing this option include:
- Capability of authorized CUA representatives to issue an emergency notification to the CUA community through the “Alert DC” system.
- Capability of members of the CUA community to sign up for emergency messages that pertain specifically to Catholic University or to sign up for additional messages (e.g., severe weather, traffic conditions, emergencies in the Brookland neighborhood, etc.)
- Assurance that the information being transmitted is coming from a highly reliable source
Faculty, staff, students and others who sign up will receive urgent text messages to their cell phone, Blackberry or other mobile device. In order to be eligible to receive any messages, however, you must first sign up at https://textalert.ema.dc.gov/.
How it Works
The Catholic University of America is one of a number of area universities that have opted to register as an institution with the “Alert DC” system. When critical alerts affecting our campus are broadcast by the “Alert DC” system, pre-registered recipients will receive a short text message to their mobile device. Several CUA administrators have authority to request that messages be sent through the alert system. These requests will quickly be approved by DC Emergency Management personnel, who also have instant access to law enforcement and homeland security information that they can disseminate, as needed.
Anyone can sign up to receive emergency notifications affecting CUA, even if you do not live in the DC area. To register, please visit the Alert DC homepage (https://textalert.ema.dc.gov) and create an account (click the New User link in the last paragraph). After selecting CUA and other communities/neighborhoods, you may also select the level of alerts that you wish to receive.
When is it Used?
The “Alert DC” system will only be used by authorized CUA administrators to transmit short, truly urgent messages that affect the entire campus community (not, for example, snow closings). An emergency message from the CUA administration might include a shelter-in-place message or an evacuation alert. Note that the DC government also uses this system to notify the public of government office closings, severe weather conditions, and traffic conditions.
The “Alert DC” system represents an important enhancement to CUA’s emergency notification system. Depending on the level and type of emergency, it will be used with one or more of the following communication options already in place at the university:
- Fire alarms
- Audible public announcements broadcast via public safety vehicles
- E-mail and list serves
- CUA Web pages
- Phone messages
- Building safety captains
The “Alert DC” system is fully operational for The Catholic University of America. Students, faculty, staff and others are encouraged to sign up at their earliest convenience.
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5-22-07 Fire Department Declares Buildings Safe to Re-Enter Following Gas Leak
Several buildings on the Catholic University campus were evacuated this morning after a construction crew hit a high pressure gas line in front of Marist Hall at 8:30 a.m.
The line was repaired by Washington Gas employees by 10 a.m., when members of the D.C. Fire Department Hazardous Materials team tested the affected area and declared it safe to re-enter.
Staff from the CUA Office of Environmental Health and Safety will be retesting the affected buildings — Marist, Nugent and O’Boyle halls as well as the Curley Court trailers and the Life Cycle Institute — throughout the day to confirm the Haz Mat team’s assessment.
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4-25-07 Safety Roundtable Brownbag Lunch Meeting on Friday, April 27
The Division of Student Life invites CUA students, faculty and staff to attend a safety roundtable meeting on Friday, April 27, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center, Great Room A. This meeting is intended to reinforce important campus safety procedures. Additional meetings of this nature will be held in August and September 2007.
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4-19-07 CUA Officials Discuss Emergency Preparedness Enhancements
Very Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., Catholic University’s president, convened a summit of 19 university officials Thursday, April 19, 2007, to review campus emergency procedures in the wake of the shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University this week and to consider what more the university can do to enhance preparations for emergencies.
During the 90-minute meeting, senior staff from divisions across campus discussed CUA’s response to the events at Virginia Tech, the existing CUA emergency plan, current plans to enhance it and the implementation of additional means of alerting the campus community in the event of a crisis.
In addition to a review of the process of responding to an emergency, the meeting focused on communication tool enhancement and on education and preparation of the campus community to deal with emergency situations.
In the course of the meeting Father O’Connell authorized university officials to pursue the addition of two new emergency notification tools, i.e., the use of instant text messaging and sirens to immediately alert students, staff, faculty and others to imminent danger. Those tools would be used in conjunction with existing methods of conveying urgent communications to the campus community, which include mass campus e-mails; news updates at www.cua.edu and the campus “Safety First” page; person-to-person communications by building “watch captains,” and mass messages conveyed through the campus voicemail system.
Even before the Virginia Tech shootings, CUA’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) had been negotiating a contract to upgrade the emergency phone kiosks on campus; the upgrade will also include emergency sirens.
DPS also has recently added four new vehicles to its fleet that are equipped with powerful public address systems capable of delivering emergency messages throughout campus via mobile loudspeakers. As was pointed out at the meeting, this could be a particularly important communication tool in the event of a power outage.
Earlier in the week, top leaders of CUA’s Department of Public Safety met with representatives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District (which encompasses the university’s campus) to review existing emergency protocols, particularly those guiding communications and coordinated response in times of crisis. Fifth District officers reviewed CUA’s emergency response plan and found it to be so thorough that they promised to incorporate it into their own emergency planning. Discussions are underway between DPS and MPD to allow CUA officers to tap directly into the MPD radio system to report emergencies on campus.
Father O’Connell announced that he will be sending out a letter to the campus community summarizing what steps are being taken to enhance CUA emergency response and crisis communications. In addition, one or more campus-wide meetings will be held as soon as possible to educate students, staff and faculty about key safety procedures on campus. There was also discussion of holding a university-wide emergency drill in the future.
Participants at today’s meeting agreed that CUA’s emergency response plan, formulated after 9-11 and modeled after the approach taken by District and federal agencies, remains sound. Father O’Connell and others stressed that the effectiveness of emergency response at CUA will depend in large part on cooperation by students, faculty and staff in providing accurate contact information (e.g., land-line and cell phones), familiarizing themselves with emergency procedures and paying close attention to university communications in whatever format they are delivered to the campus community.
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4-17-07 Emergency Preparedness Update
In light of the shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University yesterday, Catholic University officials have been conducting an internal review of those elements of the CUA Emergency Response Plan for which they are responsible. A comprehensive university plan was created in the aftermath of 9-11 and is periodically reviewed and updated. Very Rev. David M. O'Connell, C.M., Catholic University president, will be convening a summit of top university officials on Thursday, April 19, to consider if the university can do anything more to enhance preparations for emergencies. In addition, top leaders of CUA’s Department of Public Safety are meeting today with representatives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District (which encompasses the university’s campus) to review existing protocols in the event of an emergency. According to Director of Public Safety Thomasine Johnson, “our first responders are meeting with MPD’s first responders to ensure that our communications channels are completely in sync and that the processes involving both sides are seamless and interoperable.” Johnson added that last year approximately 20 CUA public safety department managers and staff completed weeklong incident command training funded by the Department of Homeland Security and tailored to campus public safety officials who may face emergency scenarios like the one at Virginia Tech.
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4-17-07 Crime Alert: Attempted Robbery at Brookland/CUA Metro Stairs
On Monday, April 16, 2007, approximately 3:15 p.m., a suspect approached a CUA student on the Brookland/CUA Metro stairs and attempted to take her book bag. The suspect fled the area. DPS officers were notified immediately and pursued the suspect. The Metro Transit Police responded and searched the area.
Suspect 1: Black Male, juvenile, thin build, black hair (bush style), wearing a black coat and blue jeans.
Safety Precautions:
Stay alert at all times. The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are.
Don’t wear headsets. If you wear them you won’t hear an approaching person or car.
Listen to your surroundings.
Notify the campus police of any suspicious persons or activity.
Know the location of the emergency telephones.
Use the shuttle bus and escort services.
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4-16-07 Safety Update in Wake of Virginia Tech Tragedy
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of Washington, D.C., has asked all Washington universities and colleges to be on a state of “heightened alert” because of the shootings that occurred earlier today on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Although there is no threat indicated or implied to metropolitan D.C. institutions, the measure is one of prudence and caution. Public Safety officials at The Catholic University of America have been in direct contact with MPD throughout the day. MPD has specialized response units that can be mobilized quickly to provide assistance to academic institutions in the region. It is important for everyone to remain both calm and vigilant in the face of this tragedy. Campus officials have been in contact with faculty, staff and students. Prayer services, counseling and other services will continue to be offered to the CUA community.
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3-30-07 Message from the Department of Public Safety
Over the past two weeks, there has been an increase in vehicle-related incidents. Earlier this week, three vehicles were broken into on Harewood Road and one in the DuFour Center parking lot. All of these incidents occurred on the same day and within the same time span. The week before, three vehicle-related incidents occurred on Marist Road during the same time period.
DPS has taken aggressive, pro-active measures to deter future incidents. DPS vehicles, patrol officers on foot and bicycle, and contracted security are monitoring and patrolling the areas.
Safety Precautions: THEFTS FROM AUTOS
One of the most common types of theft is theft of valuables from your automobile. Theft from auto is strictly a crime of opportunity that can be prevented if you take away the opportunity. Thieves generally won’t waste their time breaking into autos that don’t have valuables in plain sight.
* KEEP YOUR VALUABLES OUT OF SIGHT
The best way to prevent theft from your auto is to always keep valuables out of sight. Never leave cell phones, briefcases, suitcases or electronic devices (walkmans, palm pilots, laptop computers, etc.) in your car in plain view. Take these items with you, or secure them—all the time, every time.
* USE YOUR TRUNK
If your car has a trunk, use it. Put valuables in there or in a locked glove compartment. Hiding items under seats is better than leaving them in plain view, but securing them inside the glove compartment or trunk is a far better deterrent.
* DON'T TEMPT THIEVES WITH NEW PURCHASES
During the holiday season especially, or any time you’re shopping, place packages in the trunk, not on the passenger seats or floors.
* REMOVE YOUR RADIO FACEPLATE
If you can unfasten your sound system and take it with you, or lock it in your trunk, do so. And don’t forget to do the same with your CDs and tapes.
* LOCK IT UP
Also, keep your car doors and windows locked—all the time.
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3-13-07 MPD Investigating Human Remains Found on CUA Property
The Metropolitan Police Department is conducting an investigation of what appear to be human remains found at approximately 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 13, 2007, in a wooded area located on the northeast perimeter of CUA’s campus.
While the cause and time of death are currently under investigation by medical examiners, MPD detectives believe the remains have been in the area for six months to a year.
CUA administrators discount the possibility that the remains may belong to a member of the campus community — no missing persons have been reported on campus within the last year, confirmed Thomasine Johnson, director of Public Safety.
“This is a police matter and to the extent determined by them to be appropriate, Catholic University will cooperate fully in the investigation,” said Victor Nakas, university spokesman. “We will leave all further announcements to the Metropolitan Police Department.”
The skeletal remains were found under a tree in a densely forested area, out of sight of a street near the intersection of Hawaii Ave. N.E. and 2nd Street N.E. The area is at the far northern edge of campus. Police began looking for evidence in the area after a 911 caller reported a partially decomposed skull had been found and left in a nearby shopping center trash bin.
All of the discovered remains have been transported to the Office of the D.C. Medical Examiner for further examination.
For updated information about the ongoing investigation, visit the MPD Web site at: www.mpdc.dc.gov and click on the “newsroom” link.
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2-19-07 Message From DPS Director
Dear members of The Catholic University of America community:
I am writing to thank the campus community for their help and support with keeping the campus safe and to provide you with an update on the safety and security initiatives.
Last year in a published open message on the Safety First Web site I asked the campus community to help Public Safety. Among the things you were asked to do were:
-- Please be vigilant and aware of your surroundings on and off campus. Use “high traffic” routes. Avoid short cuts through isolated areas.
-- Help us help you by contacting us at x5111 if you see suspicious individuals or suspicious activities on campus.
We have not received a single report of a robbery or stolen auto on campus during this academic year. I believe this is the result of both increased police visibility and community support. Public Safety officers, supported by contract security posts, have maintained a highly visible presence on campus.
We started the school year with fixed posts at the Metrorail station and in front of Conaty Hall and with roving patrols in McMahon parking lot and the mall area. Recently, we added roving patrols on the north and the south ends of campus, to include Harewood Road and the Metro access road (John McCormack Rd.).
On two occasions in November individuals came on campus and attempted to steal things. In both situations the individuals were apprehended and placed under arrest because members of the campus community were quick to detect suspicious behavior and contact Public Safety.
Please continue your efforts. We will continue to direct our efforts toward maintaining a safe and secure campus.
Sincerely,
Thomasine Johnson
Director of Public Safety
The Catholic University of America
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Crime Prevention
Safety tips
Protect yourself in Residence Halls :
- Lock your door, even if you're only leaving for a minute.
- Lock your door when you are sleeping, napping or leaving for an extended period of time.
- Keep your CUA Identification Card and room keys secured. Immediately report stolen or missing CUA I.D. cards and keys to Housing and Residential Services and campus police.
- Secure your valuables. Keep money, wallets, jewelry, handbags and other valuables out of sight.
- Never admit strangers into your room or hall. When in doubt, request a CUA ID.
- Never prop open exterior doors.
- Immediately report suspicious persons or activity to the campus police. Report any strangers loitering in or around residence halls.
Protect yourself when working or studying after normal business hours :
- Never remain alone in isolated or unoccupied areas, including classrooms, libraries and other buildings. Notify the campus police of your location and expected departure time.
- Make sure all outside entrance doors are locked.
- Keep your area locked. Don't let anyone else in the building.
- Call for an escort if necessary.
Protect yourself on and off campus:
- Stay alert, confident and aware of your surroundings. Walk purposefully and make eye contact with people around you. Trust your instincts.
- Avoid alleys, short cuts and vacant lots. Stick to well-lighted, busy streets.
- Walk with a companion whenever possible.
- Avoid displaying large amounts of cash. Use ATM's during daylight hours only.
- If you are being followed, abruptly change directions, stay in a well-lit area and seek safety in a public building.
- Make noise, attract attention to yourself and the person that is following you.
- If on campus, locate the nearest emergency telephone. Off campus, dial "911".
- After dark, or when there's concern for your personal safety, call the campus police at 202-319-5111 for an escort.
- Use the campus shuttle/loop bus service.
- Know the location of emergency telephones.
Vehicle Safety :
- Do not leave items of value visible in a parked car.
- Park in well-lighted areas designated for parking.
- Look into and around your vehicle before entering it.
- Drive on well-traveled streets.
- Keep all doors locked.
Protect university and personal property:
- Avoid thefts of opportunity. Leaving your property and valuables unattended and unsecured, even for short periods of time, provides a thief with the opportunity to steal.
Opportunity thefts are the most preventable crimes that occur.
- Never leave personal property such as books, wallets, pocketbooks, cash, jewelry or bicycles unattended and unsecured.
- Never leave laptop computers, calculators and other items of value unattended in library areas.
- Lock the doors to your room, office or lab when you leave, even if it is only for a few minutes. Most reported thefts occur in unlocked areas.
- Take advantage of “Operation Identification” by marking your valuables in some distinctive fashion. Engravers are available at campus police headquarters.
- Register your bicycle with the campus police. Registration fee will be waived.
- Immediately report suspicious persons and activity to the campus police by calling 202-319-5111.
For more safety tips, visit http://publicsafety.cua.edu/prevention.cfm. For more information about the Metropolitan Police Department, visit http://www.mpdc.dc.gov/info/tips.shtm.
Crime and Information alerts
Note: Crime alerts are posted on this page. Each new alert is usually posted for two weeks.
Identity theft protection:
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
Laboratory Security Policy
Laboratories contain valuable research equipment, samples, work in progress, notes and data. They also contain potentially hazardous materials, such as chemicals, biological agents and radioactive substances. All of these university assets must be protected from unauthorized access, mishandling or removal.
The principal investigator of a lab has overall responsibility for protecting these university assets. However, all faculty, students and staff who access the labs are expected to take precautions to protect against theft or misuse of items found in the laboratories. Security measures should correspond to the potential risks and must not unduly hamper research.
At The Catholic University of America, we apply the following approaches to security:
- Limit building access through exterior doors. Buildings with laboratories will be accessible through main entrances. Other entrances normally will be locked from the outside but will be usable as exits.
- Limit access to laboratories.
- Safeguard documents, equipment and materials of concern.
- Use sound computer security practices.
In order to safeguard personnel, the facility and data/materials, all laboratory personnel are, at a minimum, to comply with the following security procedures:
- Question the presence of unfamiliar/suspicious individuals in laboratories and/or building common areas. Report all such persons (i.e., without CUA ID) and suspicious activity immediately to the Department of Public Safety at 202-319-5111.
- Keep laboratory doors closed and locked, unless someone responsible is actually present.
- Do not give laboratory keys to contractors; contractors doing work in a lab must be let in and monitored continually by a responsible individual from CUA.
- Secure important research documents and experimental materials (e.g., lab notebooks, samples) in locked areas. Store hazardous substances in locked cabinets when these items are not in active use.
- Keep a detailed inventory of all hazardous substances (chemical, biological and radioactive) and have it readily available for review.
- Never share your computer password with anyone. Lock up computer disks containing sensitive information or data. Log off or shut down your computer when you are away from it, and if you have any reason to suspect that anyone is trying to gain access to your files, change your password and report your suspicions to public safety.
- Report missing materials, documents, samples, etc. immediately upon discovery to public safety.
Normally, open laboratory building exterior doors are secured after normal business hours. To minimize the likelihood of unauthorized access, all after-hours building users must:
- Avoid providing building access to unfamiliar individuals.
- Secure doors behind themselves.
- Report any building security issues to public safety immediately after securing your own safety.
Research and/or other activities involving the use of lab space, materials or equipment may only be done with the knowledge and approval of the responsible principal investigator. Violation of this prohibition may result in severe disciplinary action.
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