In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, through its Public Safety Office, the University will report all felonies and serious misdemeanors, which are reported to them or they observe or view, to the Chicago Police Department via 9-1-1 as soon as possible, regardless of whether the victim/complainant refuses to cooperate in the investigation or has a change of mind about reporting the crime and provide statistics on these crimes in its annual security report.
For lesser misdemeanors against the University, e.g. minor damage to property, the Public Safety officer will check with his/her supervisor about reporting to the Chicago Police Department.
For lesser misdemeanors perpetrated against a person (student, faculty, staff or visitor), victims will be encouraged and assisted by Public Safety to report the crime to the Chicago Police Department. If the victim refuses to notify the police, Public Safety will indicate "victim refuses" in its report of the incident, but will proceed to report the alleged crime to the police if warranted or deemed advisable by the Director of Public Safety.
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure for Campus Security and Campus Crime Act identifies and defines Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) as university faculty and staff members with "significant responsibility" for student and campus activities. Some examples of CSAs could include Public Safety officers, deans, directors, department heads, athletic coaches, student organization advisors, residence hall staff and student affairs staff. A letter is sent annually to individuals identified as CSAs reminding them of their responsibilities. Detailed information about the positions at DePaul that are designated at CSAs is available from Public Safety upon request.
Once informed of a crime, the University is committed to assisting the victim to feel safe, secure, and free from further harm. The University will make all attempts to provide a calm and supportive environment for the victim. All crimes reported to CSAs will be reported to Public Safety in a timely manner. If a crime reported to a CSA is a threat to the community, the CSA must promptly report this information to Public Safety as soon as possible.
The University’s campuses are located in cities with well-trained, responsive police and fire departments equipped to handle all emergencies. If a major or serious crime occurs at any University campus, the police in that jurisdiction, will, once on the scene, take control of the situation as provided by law. The Public Safety Office relies on the Chicago Police Department for assistance in formulating crime prevention techniques and planning for the future.
The following is a listing of some of the crime prevention programs and projects implemented by DePaul University at its Chicago campuses:
- House Telephones and Emergency Call Boxes—Both interior and exterior emergency communications linked to the Public Safety Office are located throughout the Chicago campuses;
- Closed Circuit Television Surveillance—CCTV is used in the buildings at the Loop Campus and to a limited extent in buildings, residence halls and parking garages at the Lincoln Park Campus;
- Electronic Alarm Systems—An electronic monitoring system located at both Chicago campuses monitors a network of intrusion detection, fire alarms and duress alarm systems;
- University Photo Identification Card—Each DePaul University faculty, staff and student is issued a DePaul University photo identification card. This card is needed to gain access to eleven of the residence buildings and parking garages, to purchase food in the cafeterias, to attend University functions and for security purposes;
- DPU Alert—DPU Alert allows the University to send emergency notifications via voice, text, and email.The University will send DPU Alerts in major, life threatening emergencies and will follow all appropriate security and privacy procedures in maintaining information in our system. The University also tests the system on a regular basis; and
- In-Building Speaker Notification—In the fall of 2008, additional resources were put in place to alert the University community of an emergency. Speaker are present in each classroom, along with additional speakers situated in hallways of all DePaul-owned buildings. In an emergency, speakers will detail the emergency taking place. The system will be tested multiple times a year.
Numerous efforts are made to advise members of the campus community on a timely basis about campus crime and crime-related problems. These efforts include the following:
- Timely Warnings—If circumstances warrant, special printed crime alerts called “Safety Alerts” are prepared, distributed either selectively or throughout the campus, and usually emailed to the University community. They are also posted on the Public Safety website.
- Weekly Report—During the school year, crime statistics are published in the school newspaper, The DePaulia, and posted on the Public Safety website.