Safety and Security
EMERGENCIES
Call 911 or (440) 826-2000 (Campus Safety and Security emergency line)
Non-Emergency Contact
(440) 826-2336
Office Hours
Open 24 hours per day / 7 days a week
Campus Location
Tudor House
296 Beech St.
Berea, OH 44017-2088
Crime and Fire Statistics
Campus Safety
According to FBI statistics, Baldwin Wallace has one of the safest campuses in Ohio. The health and safety of our campus community is a top priority at BW, and we are committed to maintaining a safe campus environment for learning and living. We have a close relationship with the Berea Police Department and other local safety services.
A number of systems are in place to make certain students are as safe as possible:
- RAVE Alerts provide information regarding severe weather, building and campus closures and other important situations. Text alerts are automatically sent to all students who have provided a cell number to the University. In addition, students receive email alerts and alerts are posted on campus displays, computer monitors and on bw.edu. Family members interested in receiving text alerts can sign up at getrave.com.
- Campus Safety and Security is staffed 24/7. Walking escorts for students are available on request.
- Blue Light emergency phones can be found at the following locations:
- Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) Building, 325 Front St.: North side of building
- Harding House (2 phones), 77 W. Bagley Rd.:
- West side of building (note: currently in repair and not operational at this time)
- Parking lot across Bagley Rd. at Berea St.
- Kleist Center for Art and Drama, 95 E. Bagley Rd.: in parking lot at Northeast corner of building
- Dietsh Hall, 66 Seminary St.: East side of building
- Hamilton House Apartments, 375 Front St.: West side of building
- In addition, Safety and Security provides services for room and vehicle lock outs, battery jumps and after-hours maintenance emergencies.
- About the Department
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The Department is coordinated by the Director of Safety and Security, Gary Black, and is comprised of a full-time investigator, three full-time security supervisors, four full-time security officers, part-time security officers and one secretary.
Berea Police Officers are also employed by Baldwin Wallace Safety and Security to patrol the campus during the school year, and to work special events throughout the year. These officers act in their capacity as Berea Police Officers with arrest authority while patrolling campus and working special events. The Officers wear Berea Police uniforms and operate Berea Police vehicles while working for Baldwin Wallace.
Baldwin Wallace has had an excellent relationship with the Berea Police for many years. In 1993, the Safety and Security Department entered into a "memorandum of understanding" with the Berea Police. This agreement states that BW Safety and Security will provide the Berea Police Detective Bureau with information regarding "all felony crimes...and all instances of serious physical injury to victims occurring on Baldwin Wallace University property during the previous twenty-four hours". This agreement also states that Safety and Security will deliver copies of incident reports involving "misdemeanor arrests and crimes of interest" to the Berea Police. The Berea Police also agree to provide Safety and Security with the aforementioned information and reports within 24 hours. Both departments also agree to conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner when assisting each other in any investigation.
- How to Contact Us
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The Department of Safety and Security is located on the first floor of the Tudor House at 296 Beech Street (across from Findley Hall). The Department is available to provide service 24 hours a day, seven days a week including holidays and breaks. In an emergency, you can contact the Department by dialing 2000 from any campus telephone or (440) 826-2000 from a non-campus telephone. For non-emergency service, the department can be contacted at (440) 826-2336. A courteous dispatcher will always be on duty to answer your call and to dispatch an officer to your location.
Emergency telephones are located:
- in the Recreation Center parking lot
- in the Fairgrounds parking lot
- at the top of the outside stairs near Merner-Pfeiffer
- between Carnegie and Wheeler Halls
- the northwest corner of Bonds
- by the exterior elevator of the Student Activities Center
- on the north side of the Observatory
- the southwest corner of the baseball field by Heritage Hall
- Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) building
- the new BW Speech Clinic building, 285 Front Street
- the west side of Harding Hall, 77 Bagley Road
- the BW parking lot at the corner of Bagley Road and Berea Street
- the northeast sidewalk of the Kleist Center for Arts and Drama
- the southeast walkway of the Strosacker Union
- and between Dietsch and Klein Halls
- In the Math and Computer Science Building lobby, just outside the 24-hour computer lab.
These phones dial directly to the Department of Safety and Security. There are also four call boxes attached to the rear exterior of the townhouse apartments on East Bridge Street.
In addition to the emergency phones, each residence hall has an outdoor phone adjacent to the entrance doors from which calls can be made to report suspicious activity as well as to request an escort or other assistance.
- Emergency Response to an Active Shooter
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Current events at U.S. schools have made us all increasingly aware that the improbable occurrence of an active shooter event can happen anywhere, at any time. BW has actively planned for many types of emergencies, including a campus response to an active shooter. Below are some of the actions that BW, the Berea Police Department, and the Southwest Enforcement Bureau will take in response to a report of an active shooter:
- The Berea Police: The Berea Police Department is the police department that serves and protects BW here in the City of Berea. Their police station is located in the Berea Commons, just southeast of BW’s Conservatory and The Berea Townhouse Apartments. Their armed police officers could arrive on campus within a couple of minutes of receiving a 911 call, and these officers are trained to make entry into a facility with a minimal number of officers and confront an active shooter.
- The Southwest Enforcement Bureau (“SEB”): The Southwest Enforcement Bureau is a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team, and serves the southwest Cuyahoga county area. SEB is made up of approximately 40 police officers from 18 surrounding suburbs (including Berea, Middleburg Heights, Olmsted Falls and Strongsville), and includes tactical members, bomb technicians, hostage negotiators, snipers and medics. SEB is equipped with a bomb truck with explosive container, an armored vehicle which can be used to deliver a team or rescue victims, and a new $300,000 command post. They are trained in responding to barricaded subjects, hostage situations, crowd control, and area searches for lost people and children. Some SEB officers could arrive on scene within minutes, depending on if they are on duty at the time of an incident and their proximity to BW’s campus.
- Emergency Communications: BW has several ways that we will communicate emergency information to the campus community. Some are listed below:
- Classroom Emergency Phones: Each classroom has an emergency phone from which students and professors can dial 911 and BW Safety and Security. BW recommends that you use these phones if you have an emergency in your classroom area. These phones send an exact location to our BW's Dispatcher’s computer so that officers will know your location. Note that your cell phone can only give an approximate location in the county from where you are calling.
- Emergency Text Messaging: BW has contracted with “RAVE Communications” to have the capability to send an emergency text message to any and all cellphones that have been registered by faculty, staff and students with BW’s Telecommunications Department. Several BW departments have the ability to send an emergency message at any time, including The Office of the President, University Relations, Telecommunications, and the Department of Safety and Security. A brief text message will be sent during an on-going event that has a significant risk to the safety of the BW community. An emergency text message would normally include a description of the type of emergency event, the location of the event, and how you should proceed to protect yourself. The message may also contain information regarding locations that you should evacuate to in the event of a campus emergency requiring an evacuation of everyone on campus.
- Campus Information Television Monitors: These Monitors can be coordinated with our emergency text messages to display emergency information during a crisis.
- BW Email: All faculty, staff and student that have a BW email address will be contacted with updates during an active shooter event. Several departments have the ability to send mass-emails to all students, faculty and staff, including the Department of Safety and Security.
- Card Access Control: Safety and Security has the ability to control any of the card access doors on BW’s campus. Doors can be immediately unlocked, secured (allowing for access with BW I.D. if the privilege was granted), and locked-out (no access by anyone regardless of access privileges). BW has been adding new card access equipment to existing facilities each year, and all new facilities are equipped with card access doors.
Personal Response to an Active Shooter
Note: The excerpt below was taken from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “Active Shooter — How to Respond” booklet. Click here for a complete booklet on the U.S.D.H.S web page
Good practices for coping with an active shooter situation:
- Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers
- Take note of the two nearest exits in any facility you visit
- If you are in an office, stay there and secure the door
- If you are in a hallway, get into a room and secure the door
- As a last resort, attempt to take the active shooter down. When the shooter is at close range and you cannot flee, your chance of survival is much greater if you try to incapacitate him/her. CALL 911 WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO!
How to respond when an active shooter is in your vicinity
Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. Remember that customers and clients are likely to follow the lead of employees and managers during an active shooter situation.
- Evacuate
- If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:
- Have an escape route and plan in mind
- Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow
- Leave your belongings behind
- Help others escape, if possible
- Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be
- Keep your hands visible
- Follow the instructions of any police officers
- Do not attempt to move wounded people
- Call 911 when you are safe
- Hide out
- If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you.
- Your hiding place should:
- Be out of the active shooter’s view
- Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)
- Not trap you or restrict your options for movement
- To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:
- Lock the door
- Blockade the door with heavy furniture
- If the active shooter is nearby:
- Lock the door
- Silence your cell phone and/or pager
- Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)
- Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)
- Remain quiet
- If evacuation and hiding out are not possible:
- Remain calm
- Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location
- If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen
- Take action against the active shooter
- As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:
- Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her
- Throwing items and improvising weapons
- Yelling
- Committing to your actions
- Drug, Alcohol and Weapons Policies
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Campus patrol officers enforce laws regulating underage drinking, the use of controlled substances and possession of weapons. The consumption and possession of alcoholic beverages in residence halls, while strongly discouraged, is restricted to the individual rooms of those students that are at least 21 years of age, which is Ohio's legal drinking age. The consumption and possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in the Freshman Center of Klein, Beech, Saylor, and the Wellness Halls. Baldwin Wallace University prohibits the use, possession, sale, manufacture or distribution of illegal drugs on campus. Intentional use, possession or sale of firearms or other dangerous weapons by students is strictly forbidden and is a violation of University policy.
- Campus Walking Escort Service
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A walking escort service is available at any time for the safety of anyone on the campus, particularly during the evening hours. Simply dial 2336 from any campus phone, advise the dispatcher of your current location and your destination. A student auxiliary, wearing a blue and yellow auxiliary uniform, will be dispatched by two-way radio to your location and will walk with you to any campus building or parking lot.
- Crime Prevention
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Crime Prevention is important to our success. Our philosophy is one of eliminating or minimizing criminal opportunities whenever possible and encouraging students, faculty and staff to be responsible for their own safety and security.
Through a campus crime prevention program, the community can increase its ability to recognize crime and safety risks, and learn methods that prevent opportunities, which allow crimes to occur. The Department offers a number of programs to help educate the college community. Current subjects include:
- Basic Residence Hall Security: This program covers residence hall security with an emphasis on safety precautions and crime prevention measures.
- Operation Identification: This is a theft prevention program in which participants learn to identify situations that create opportunity for theft, and to take measures to prevent such situations from occurring. Participants have the opportunity to create a record of personal valuables such as stereos, and TV's and mark those items using an engraving tool. Bicycle owners may also contact the Safety and Security Office to make an appointment to have their bike engraved.
- Sexual Assault Response Team: The Sexual Assault Response Team is responsible for coordinating sexual assault prevention and education efforts on campus. They can be reached by contacting the Counseling Center at (440) 826-2180, or the Health Center at (440) 826-2178.
- Customized Programming: Upon request, other safety and security topics can be incorporated into a crime prevention presentation. To schedule a program, contact the department during office hours at (440) 826-2336.
- Sexual Misconduct
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Baldwin Wallace University is committed to providing a professional working and learning environment free from sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct is a form of sex discrimination, is illegal, and can result in a civil law suit, and in some cases, criminal charges. Sex discrimination is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and this policy, in concert with the policies and procedures in the Student Handbook seek to keep Baldwin Wallace ethically sound and in compliance.
Baldwin Wallace University prohibits all forms of sexual misconduct including but not limited to sexual harassment and the crimes of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. State of Ohio definitions for these and other gender based crimes can be found in the Ohio revised code. Please see codes.ohio.gov/orc/ for specific definitions. Violations of any state, local or federal law are, by default, violations of institutional policy.
Sexual misconduct most often exploits a relationship between individuals of unequal power and authority (for example, the relationship between an employee and a supervisor or between a student and a teacher), but may also occur between student peers or employees of similar rank. Sexual misconduct may involve the behavior of a person of either gender against a person of the opposite or same gender. Sanctions at the disposal of the institution for sexual misconduct range from mandatory education about sexual misconduct issues to dismissal or termination, depending on the seriousness and frequency of the behavior.
Review the full BW Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy.
How to Report an Incident
Any Baldwin Wallace student, employee, or campus visitor having a complaint of sexual misconduct (hereafter, the complainant) is encouraged to do one of the following:
- Call, email or visit any of the Sexual Misconduct Investigators. Students can find a list of investigators in MyBW.
- Call, email or visit or the Chief Diversity Officer/Title IX Administrator. The Coordinator can be reached at (440) 826-2426, charknes@bw.edu or Bonds Administration Building Rm. 202C
- Call Human Resources at (440) 826-2220.
- Call or visit Safety and Security at (440) 826-2000. Their 24 hours dispatch center is available for reporting any crime or misconduct.
- Submit an incident report.
- Local Sex Offender Registration
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The federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, enacted on October 28, 2000, went into effect October 28, 2002. The law requires institutions of higher education to issue a statement advising the campus community where registered sex offender information may be obtained.
Baldwin Wallace University Safety and Security has been advised by local authorities that the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office's "Sexual Offenders Search" is currently the Internet site that contains information about registered sex offenders in Cuyahoga County.
After accepting the terms of the web site, search for BW's zip code (44017). If a file does not appear, then there are no sexual predators registered in the zip code area.
- Bias Incident/Hate Crime
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Baldwin Wallace University considers acts motivated by bias and other forms of discrimination to be forms of harassment and intimidation. These types of acts violate Baldwin-Wallace policy, as described in the Student Code of Conduct (contained in the Student Handbook). These acts may also violate federal, state, and local criminal codes, as well as being civil rights violations.
Baldwin Wallace University will not tolerate these acts or any hate crimes and will aggressively investigate reports of any such incidents on its campus. Baldwin Wallace will report all crimes of bias and hate crimes to the Berea Police Department so that the appropriate police and city, county or federal prosecutor can gather information and evidence, and consider criminal prosecution of these acts in the appropriate court of law.
A bias incident is a threatened, attempted, or completed action that is motivated by the appearance of bigotry and bias regarding a person’s real or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity/expression, marital or parental status, citizenship, or military or veteran status. Examples of these incidents include name calling, offensive language/acts, graffiti, or inappropriate gestures/behavior. Hate crimes (also known as bias-motivated-crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity or political affiliation.
Faculty, staff and students can report an incident by completing and submitting an incident report.
Those who wish to report an incident in person, should immediately contact Safety and Security at (440) 826-2336. Calls can be placed 24 hours a day — seven days a week. The Director of Safety and Security can also be contacted at (440) 826-2377.
If you have any questions or if you need assistance completing this form, contact the following offices:
- Residence Life Central Staff Members (440) 826-2114
- Accessible Education Coordinator – for Students (440) 826-2090
- Asst. Dean, Office of Student Affairs (440) 826-2772
- Assoc. Academic Dean, Academic Affairs (440) 826-2251
- Director, Diversity Affairs (440) 826-2426
- Coordinator, Multicultural Student Services (440) 826-8520
- Coordinator, LGBT Services (440) 826-2116
- Asst. VP, Human Resources & Disability Services for Employees (440) 826-2220
- Director, Health and Counseling Center (440) 826-2178
- Director, International Student Services (440) 826-2771
Handwritten forms should be completed and returned to Safety and Security, Attn: Gary Black, 296 Beech Street.
- Missing Student Procedure
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If there is reason to believe that a resident student is missing, call Safety and Security at (440) 826-2336 (or go to the Safety and Security Office) immediately, regardless of the time of day or the day of the week. Safety and Security Officers will complete an information report and will immediately initiate an effort to locate the student.
Safety and Security will contact administrators of Student Affairs, Residence Life, the Business Office and Academic Affairs to collect information on the student's recent activity on campus (such as food purchases, card access, and class attendance). Safety and Security will also advise the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students that a student has been reported missing within 24 hours of being advised of the missing student.
Safety and Security will contact the Berea Police within 24 hours of determining that the student is missing. Safety and Security or Student Affairs may contact the family of the missing student to gather information. Baldwin Wallace will contact the custodial parent or guardian of a missing student who is under the age of 18 and not emancipated, within 24 hours of determining that the student is missing.
- Emergency Contact Person Information
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Baldwin Wallace students have the option of listing a confidential emergency contact person when they complete their check-in information when registering online at the beginning of each semester. Only authorized campus officials and law enforcement officers, in furtherance of a missing person's investigation, may have access to this information. Students can also contact the Office of Registration and Records at (440) 826-2126 if they wish to list or change their emergency contact person information at any time.
The student's emergency contact person will be contacted if campus administrators have determined that the resident student has been missing for more than 24 hours.
- Crime Reporting
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During the Academic year, the Department of Safety and Security produces a weekly media report summarizing Criminal incidents, when a victim or other involved parties report the incident to Safety and Security. This report is submitted to The Exponent, BW's student newspaper, and is published at the discretion of the editors. There is a log of these summarized incidents available for public review, located at Safety and Security. Identifying information about suspects or victims are never included.
The Student Affairs Office, in conjunction with the Department of Safety and Security, will make timely warning reports to the campus community regarding certain crimes that represent a continuing threat to the campus community. In addition to being posted in public areas, this information may be distributed by U.S. Postal Service, campus mail, and/or electronic mail.
In accordance with the Campus Security Act, Baldwin Wallace University provides crime statistics and security information to current and prospective students and current and prospective employees. The Federal Department of Education requires all colleges and universities to submit their crime statistics by October 1 for the previous three years. These statistics include crimes that have taken place on campus, non-campus (Buildings and Grounds, the Community Outreach House in Cleveland, and BW-East), and on neighboring public property (public streets, sidewalks, Coe Lake and the Cleveland MetroParks). The Safety and Security Department serves as the "clearing house" in the gathering of crime data and judicial referrals from those with "significant responsibilities for students and campus activities". Residence Life, Student Affairs, and the Berea Police are the other departments to report incidents of crime, and on a daily basis, all are in contact with Safety and Security. In addition, an annual report is requested from the Berea Police Department, the Berea Fire Department, the Cleveland Police Department, the Beachwood Police Department, the Student Health Center, the Cleveland MetroPark Ranger Department, and Student affairs. "Non-campus" facility administrators are also contacted annually for criminal incident information. All gathered information is then compared to minimize multiple postings, and then incorporated in statistical tables.
- Vehicle Assists
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Should you, while on campus or on an adjacent street, accidentally lock your keys in your vehicle, or if you need a battery jump-start, call (440) 826-2336. An officer will be dispatched to your location to assist you with these problems. There is no charge for this service.
- Student Auxiliary Staff
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The Department of Safety and Security maintains a student auxiliary staff of approximately twenty-five. This staff includes student auxiliaries who assist in patrolling the campus grounds and providing escorts, as well as student dispatchers who relay requests for service, and monitor the actions of officers as they patrol the campus. Senior student auxiliaries assist with the training and supervision of their coworkers.
Any student interested in employment with the Department is encouraged to stop by the office and request an application at any time during the year. All students are welcome to apply regardless of their major or career interest.
- Personal Responsibility
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The Department of Safety and Security is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for the entire community. However, safety and security is everyone's responsibility. By practicing safety, using common sense and taking advantage of the services offered by the Department of Safety and Security, you can reduce risks and help to ensure a safe campus environment.
Review the BW's 2014 fire statistics, "Fire Right Know." Along with information about Safety and Security's "Fire Log", fire safety equipment, fire safety training and drills, procedures for evacuation, and rules on portable electrical appliances, smoking, open flames.
The Federal Department of Education's crime and fire stats can be viewed at ope.ed.gov/security.