Public Safety Services
Safety Tips
The cooperation, involvement and personal support of all members of the MCC Community are crucial to the success of a campus safety program. Everyone must assume responsibility for their own personal safety and security of their belongings by taking simple, common sense precautions.
IN THE OFFICE OR CLASSROOM
Report anyone who behaves suspiciously to Public Safety.
Advise Facility Sevices or Public Safety of any hazards or security problems.
While in class or office, keep personal belongings in view.
Your keys should always be kept in your possession and never lent out. Lost keys should be reported immediately.
Keep doors locked, even if you are away for only a few minutes.
Keep your purse in a locked cabinet or drawer. Never leave it on top of or underneath a desk.
Call Public Safety if you see a male entering, leaving or in a woman’s restroom. If you are inside, run out screaming. Do not stop to ask or answer questions.
Keep petty cash and stamps in a locked drawer.
Do not remove rings to wash your hands; they can be forgotten and/or stolen.
If you enter an elevator and the person riding with you is making you uncomfortable, leave. Get off before the door closes, or leave at the next floor.
You don’t need to make excuses or feel guilty for protecting yourself.
Follow your gut instincts; if your intuition tells you that you are at risk, try to leave the situation.
ON THE STREET
If you are followed, act suspicious. Keep looking behind you, and you may discourage the follower.
If someone is following you on foot, cross the street, change directions, or vary your pace.
If you are followed by someone in a car, turn around and walk in the opposite direction. If the driver persists, record the license number and notify the police immediately.
If you are driving and are being followed by a vehicle take three right turns if you are still being followed drive to a Police Station or other well populated area. If you have a car phone call “911”.
Stay in well lighted areas; walk midway between curbs and buildings away from alleys, entries and bushes.
If you must carry a purse or handbag, keep it close to your body. This will minimize the chances of theft.
If your purse is snatched, don’t fight. Turn it over rather than risk personal injury, then report the incident promptly.
Do not stop to give directions or other information to strangers.
Never hitchhike
Carry only necessary credit cards and money.
Walk with someone else whenever possible. Participate in the buddy system.
Stay near people. Avoid shortcuts through parks, vacant lots and other deserted places.
HARASSING PHONE CALLS
Here are some suggestions that can help you deal with harassing, anonymous, obscene or generally annoying telephone calls:
Don’t talk.Hang up if the caller doesn’t say anything or on the first obscene word, or if the caller doesn’t provide identification to your satisfaction.
Don’t slam down the receiver and thus admit that the call has bothered you. Instead, hang up as you normally would.
If the call is received on campus, call the Public Safety department. The extent and nature of the harassment can then be assessed and appropriately handled
If you follow these suggestions, chances are you will not need to call the police. You can usually stop the annoying caller by hanging up the instant you recognize the type of call. Remember that you control your telephone.
PERSONAL SAFETY IN PARKING LOTS
Walk to your vehicle in pairs or in a group.
Be aware of your surroundings. Watch for suspicious people or activities.
When you enter your vehicle, lock all the doors and turn on your headlights. This will allow you to see anyone outside in the dark.
If you are unfamiliar with the parking lot, drive through it and check it first. If you don’t feel safe, go elsewhere and wait for someone else to arrive.
Have your keys in your hand so that you don’t have to search for them when you reach your vehicle.
When you know you will be returning to your vehicle late at night, try to park close to a light or in a well-lit area.
Before getting into your vehicle, visually inspect the interior for anything suspicious.
TIPS TO AVOID THEFT FROM YOUR VEHICLE
Get into the habit of locking your vehicle every time you leave it.
A criminal will always use the easiest way into a vehicle.Don’t leave your window rolled down, not even a crack. A criminal will use the window to force his way into the car, so don’t give him that advantage.
Don’t leave vital information in your car. Your registration and insurance cards contain personal home information that allows a criminal to then target your home. Carry them in your wallet or your purse.
Park in well-lit areas. Criminals don’t like to be seen. Parking under or near a light will improve other people’s view or your car.
Mark valuables (i.e. Stereo Equipment) with a personal number. If personal property is stolen from your vehicle, a number or marking (such as a Driver’s License number), will help the police trace the item back to you. Make sure the markings are permanently affixed so they can not be erased by the criminal.
Don’t leave valuables in view for the thief. The famous saying,: Out of sight, out of mind.” is applicable here. If the criminal can’t see it, he can’t steal it. Take valuables with you or put them in your trunk. Do not put them in the glove box as that is the first place a criminal looks.
DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE
Try drawing difficult people into constructive dialogue by using the following tactics:
Get the individual’s attention. Face the person who is ventilating his/her anger hostility.
Keep a neutral facial expression and normal tone of voice.
Hold direct eye contact.
Maintain straight posture.
Be patient. Allow time for the individual to blow off steam.
Diffuse anger by asking for information. It is hard to sustain intense anger when giving information.
Send “I Messages” by making statements like -
“I know this is very upsetting and I’m really sorry about it.”
“Do I understand that someone gave you incorrect information?”
“I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
De-personalize the situation by reminding yourself that most anger is directed at “The System” rather than me personally. As a representative of the system, I can perform a “facilitative” function. When I am a facilitator, I can handle it!
Aim for a mutually agreed upon definition of the problem (when it is complex)
Describe several approaches to correcting the situation if possible.
If all alternatives are unacceptable, say, “I’m sorry, that’s all I’m authorized to do” and offer to refer person to next level supervisor. (Resist the temptation to use this indiscriminately)
A.L.I.C.E.
This information is provided to assist MCC Faculty, Staff, and Students in making the best possible decisions in the event of an active shooter or violent intruder event.
In light of recent shooting events both at the high school and university levels, many institutions have implemented a “Shelter in Place” protocol in the event of an active shooter event. Evaluation of this response suggests that sheltering in place may not be the best response to such an incident, and this protocol is designed to offer additional guidance.
The emphasis of this protocol is the preservation of life and is based upon the A.L.I.C.E. program of response.
Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Escape
DEFINITIONS
Active Shooter – A suspect is actively engaged in violent behavior with a firearm against community members and is seeking to injure or kill as many victims as possible within a condensed period of time prior to the arrival of law enforcement. The suspect(s) actions may include shooting into an area where it is reasonably expected that people could be struck by the suspect(s) fire. These situations leave little or no time for proper planning and normally require law enforcement to take immediate action to end the threat.
Violent Intruder – A suspect is actively engaged in violent behavior without a firearm against community members and is seeking to injure or kill victims within a condensed period of time and prior to the arrival of law enforcement. The suspect may be armed with a weapon such as a knife, instead of a firearm.
RESPONSE
In any situation, quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. Remember that students, vendors, or visitors are likely to follow the lead of faculty and staff members during an active shooter/violent intruder event.
Alert
Be aware of your surroundings and any unusual activity. Take note of emergency notifications (text messages, emails, announcements, etc.).
Lockdown
If you are in a classroom or office, stay there, lock the door and evaluate the following:
What is the location of the suspect(s)?
Can you evacuate the location? If so, evacuate. Consider alternate exits such as windows.
If the door does not lock, use heavy furniture to barricade the door.
Silence any sources of noise (cell phones, radios, televisions).
Hide behind large items that can stop bullets if they are fired in your direction.
Inform
If safe to do so, call 9-1-1 to notify police of incident. If you cannot speak, leave the line open to allow the dispatcher to listen.
Counter
As a last resort, and only if your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt or incapacitate the suspect(s) by:
Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her.
Throwing items and improvising weapons (textbooks, laptops, lamps).
Yelling.
Escape
If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the location. Be sure to:
Have an escape route and plan in mind.
Evacuate whether or not others agree to follow.
Leave personal belongings behind.
Keep your hands visible and empty.
Follow instructions of any law enforcement.
These are guidelines and are not all inclusive, but if understood and followed up with periodic reminders and training, they can increase your chances of surviving an active shooter/violent intruder incident.