Public Safety Emergency Information/ /Parking

I. Department of Public Safety

A. The Public Safety Department is open 365 days per year, 24 hours a day. If calling from a
cellular phone or from an off-campus location, the department may be reached by calling
518-783-2376.
In the event of an emergency, Public Safety can be contacted in the following ways:
1. The department operates an internal 911 emergency telephone system on campus. This
  number may be called from any landline telephone on campus,
2. If using a cellular phone during an emergency, students should call 518-783-2999. This
  number rings in on the campus 911 emergency telephone line. Students are strongly
  encouraged to program this number into their cell phone address book.
3. Emergency call boxes are located throughout campus. These boxes are highly visible and
  all have a blue light to mark their locations.
4. Several direct-dial telephones also are located throughout campus. These phones
  automatically dial the Public Safety office when the receiver is lifted.
5. Emergency (blue) buttons have been installed in the Morrell Science Center and the 24-
  hour computer lab in the library. These buttons are connected to the building alarm
  system and send an alarm to the security dispatcher, who will then dispatch an officer to
  that location.
B. Emergency Preparedness: Siena University’s Emergency Operations Plan has been established
to provide advance planning for emergencies that affect the overall operation of the campus.
The University tests the emergency communication and notification systems each semester.
Please familiarize yourself with the emergency information page, which provides basic what-to-do information in case of an emergency.
The following is a list of the systems in place for emergency notifications to faculty, staff and students.
1. Siena Alert: This notification system enables University officials to send urgent text alerts to cell phones with text message capability, email accounts and pagers. Students are responsible for individually subscribing to the Siena Alert system and for any charges
  their service providers may impose for delivering the text messages. Students are strongly encouraged to register for Siena Alert .
2. Emergency Call Boxes: There are 37 emergency call boxes with a constant blue light
  located throughout the University property. Each call box is equipped with a yellow strobe
  light and siren/speaker. In the event of an emergency, the siren and strobe will activate. A
  message will follow to alert the campus that there is an emergency and detail what action
  should be taken by the listener.
3. Siena Website: In the event of a major emergency, the University home page (www.siena.edu) will provide critical information and updates to the community.
  In the event of an emergency that does not interfere with the overall operation of the University, information and updates will be posted in the campus alerts box located on the
  emergency information Web page.
4. Public Address Systems: PA systems are located in all residence halls and the majority of classroom buildings.
5. Campus Gates: In the event of an emergency that requires limited access to campus as
  instructed by the law enforcement agency in charge, the gates to the campus will be
  closed and the Welcome Booth will be staffed with Public Safety personnel to provide
  direction.
6. Welcome Booth/Gates: The Public Safety Department operates the Welcome Booth,
  located at the main entrance to the University off Route 9. The Welcome Booth provides a
  centralized entrance and visitor reception point. The Welcome Booth is ordinarily staffed
  by Public Safety personnel on a 24/7 basis.
  Campus gates will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The only exceptions are the gates off Fiddlers Lane (Middlefield and St. Francis), which must close at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and remain closed until Monday morning because of town agreements.
  On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Public Safety personnel require persons entering at the Welcome Booth to verify their status as a community member or registered guest.
  When all campus gates are closed, entry to the main campus will be through the main entrance to the University on Route 9 (Welcome Booth.) Welcome Booth and gate hours are subject to change based on events and programs on campus. Whenever possible, the Public Safety Department will notify the community of substantial changes in normal operations. The booth will be staffed by a Public Safety officer with Internet capability as well as hardcopy student and guest registration rosters. For additional information regarding the operation of the Welcome Booth, please contact Public Safety at 518-783-2376.

II. Crime Reporting /Confidential Crime/Incident Reports

A. Reporting a Crime:
Community members, students, faculty, staff, and guests are strongly encouraged to accurately and promptly report all crimes and Public Safety related incidents to the Siena Department of Public Safety as soon as possible. In addition, they are also encouraged to accurately and promptly report all crimes to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Reporting crimes to the Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies is encouraged when the victim of such crime elects to, or is unable to, make such a report.

B. The Department of Public Safety, along with the University, will make every effort to safeguard any personally identifiable information.
However, the University may be required to share information, but will only do so, when it is necessary or as required by law; therefore, we cannot guarantee confidentiality and/or your anonymity in all cases, but will take extra measures to protect your privacy. A report allows the university to investigate the incident, conduct any follow up actions, and help reduce risk and improve your safety as well as the safety of others. With this information, Siena can also keep an accurate record of the number of incidents, determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method, or assailant, and alert the campus community to potential danger. Reports filed in this manner which occurred within university geography are counted and disclosed in the annual crimes statistics for the University.

C. To report a crime or an emergency on the campus of Siena University:

Call Public Safety at extension 911 from any phone on campus, from outside the Siena phone system, call 518‐783‐2999.
To report a non‐emergency security or Public Safety related matter, call Public Safety at extension 2376 or, from outside the Siena phone system, 518‐783‐2376.
In response to a reported crime or emergency, dispatchers are available at these respective telephone numbers 24 hours a day to answer your call. In response to a call, Siena Public Safety will take the required action, dispatching an officer or asking the victim or witness to report to Public Safety to file an incident report.
If assistance is required from the Town of Colonie Police Department or Colonie Fire/EMS, Public Safety will contact the appropriate unit.
Incidents may also be reported directly to the Colonie Police by calling 518‐783‐2811 for non‐emergency calls. Call 911 from a cell phone or a non‐campus phone line for emergencies. Please note, direct 911 calls to Colonie police from on‐campus will generally result in the police department calling Public Safety to meet them and guide them onto campus to the correct location.
Any community member may also report a crime by using any of the emergency call (blue light) boxes located in strategic areas around campus. The emergency call box locations are identifiable by blue lights displayed above the boxes.
Crimes may also be reported anonymously to Public Safety. Use the anonymous tip page on the Public Safety website or go directly to www.siena.edu/anonymous.
Crimes may be also reported confidentially as outlined in Section III of this document.
Any suspicious activity or person seen in the parking lots or loitering around vehicles, inside buildings or around Residential Halls should be reported to Public Safety.

D. When a crime is reported, the victim will be provided information about reporting options:
including their right to notify police, to have a staff member assist them with notifying the police if they so desire and an explanation that the victim has the right not to inform the police. Public Safety incident reports and any related investigatory reports will be forwarded to the appropriate University officials.

E. Information about on‐campus and off campus resources is provided later in this document.
The information is made available to provide Siena community members with specific contact information in the event they become the victim of a crime. Even though victims may reach out to various resources, individuals should still report crimes to the Department of Public Safety to ensure inclusion in the annual crime statistics and to aid in providing timely warning notices to the community, when appropriate.

F. Campus Security Authorities:

The Clery Act identifies Campus Security Authorities as an official of the institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities. This individual has the authority and the duty to take action or respond to particular issues on behalf of the institution. Examples of individuals who meet the criteria of a CSA include but are not limited to, Dean of Students, Director of Athletics, team coaches and faculty advisors to a student group/organization.
Campus Security Authorities (CSA) are required to report crime statistics. Under the Clery Act, a crime is “reported” when it is brought to the attention of a Campus Security Authority (CSA) or local law enforcement personnel by a victim, witness, other third party or the offender regardless of one’s involvement with the crime or affiliation with the institution. If a CSA receives the crime information and believes it was provided in good faith, they should document it as a crime report. In “good faith” means there is a reasonable basis for believing that the information is not simply rumor or hearsay. That is, there is little or no reason to doubt the validity of the information.
CSA’s must report Clery Act crimes as soon as possible, to Public Safety (even if they’ve informed others) and tell Public Safety what happened, when it happened, and where it happened. Reporting may be done by phone or in person to Siena Public Safety, Hines Hall, East Wing or calling 518‐783‐2376.
Campus Security Authorities are not required to share the identities of those involved unless the report involves the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking which require all information to be shared with the Title IX Coordinator.

III. Voluntary Confidential Reporting

A. At Siena, there are three categories of staff, who are not campus security authorities as
defined and explained below

Pastoral counselors: A person who is associated with a religious order or denomination, is
recognized by that religious order or denomination as someone who provides confidential
counseling and is functioning within the scope of that recognition as a pastoral counselor.
At Siena this would be the Office of the University Chaplain and the Friars.
Professional Counselors: a person whose official responsibilities include providing
mental health counseling to members of the institution’s community and who is
functioning within the scope of their license or certification. This definition applies even
to professional counselors who are not employees of the institution but are under contract
to provide counseling at the institution. At Siena this would be the staff of the
Counseling Center.
Siena University Health Services medical providers, including the Director, who is a
practicing Nurse Practitioner, are not considered CSA’s by the University. These medical
providers are encouraged to report crimes with non‐ identifying information to Public
Safety for the purposes of anonymous statistical reporting under the Clery Act.
Campus Security Authorities are required to complete training annually

IV. Voluntary Private Reporting

If you are the victim of a crime and do not want to pursue action within the Siena University Student Conduct System or the Criminal Justice System, we strongly encourage you to make a report.
The Department of Public Safety, along with the University, will make every effort to safeguard the privacy of a report. However, the University may be required to share information, but will only do so, when it is completely necessary; therefore, we cannot guarantee total privacy and your anonymity, but will take extra measures to protect them.
A report allows the Department of Public Safety and other responding University officials to protect your safety as well as the safety of others. With such information, Siena University can keep an accurate record of the number of incidents, determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method, or assailant, and alert the campus community to potential danger.
Reports filed in this manner which occurred within university geography are counted and disclosed in the annual crimes statistics for the University.

V. Disclosure of Crime Statistics

A. In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (formerly The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990), Siena University’s Public Safety Department compiles annual crime statistics for the University. The department is also responsible for timely warning notifications of crime on campus to the campus community.
B. Notice of crime on campus is made in several ways. Daily crime reports are received by the
Public Safety Department. These reports can be received either through direct reporting from
a crime victim, crimes observed while on patrol by Public Safety staff, through mandated
reporters (as specified by the Clery Act), or from police departments that may respond to
incidents on or adjacent to campus.
On a daily basis, the reports received are evaluated. In instances where a specific threat may still exist to the community or where an ongoing course of conduct may be observed, an immediate notice to the community may be called for. Such notices are called “security alerts” or “public safety community advisory/alerts.” When called for, these notices are made in many ways, including via email, voice mail and printed flyers.
A daily crime report also is prepared based on the previous day’s events. The daily crime
report is posted on the Public Safety Website and also is available at the department’s office.
C. The Assistant Vice President for Student Life/Director of Public Safety also prepares a statistical annual crime report. This report is based on all the University’s reported crimes as defined in the Clery Act. The report is available in a printed format, is located on the department’s Website , and may be found on the U.S. Department of Education’s Website. Notice of the report is sent to all students, faculty and staff of the University. The printed report also is available upon request.
D. It is important to note that a Public Safety report is not necessary for crimes to be included in
the University’s annual crime statistics. Statistics for the annual report are also compiled from
anonymous reports to the Dean of Students Office, the Title IX Office, Residence Directors and community assistants’ incident reports, information from mandated reporters, and anonymous crime report forms. Whenever possible, crime statistics from local police departments for crimes committed adjacent to campus are also included. The Public Safety anonymous crime reporting form is anonymous and designed to encourage victims or witnesses to report crimes on a voluntary, anonymous basis.

VI. Campus Public Safety Advisory Committee

A. In compliance with Article 129-a of the New York State Education Law, Siena University’s
Public Safety Advisory Committee is comprised of faculty, professional staff and students.
Chaired by the Assistant Vice President for Student Life/Director of Public Safety, the
committee meets at least twice a semester to review current campus security policies and
procedures and make recommendations for their improvement. It shall specifically review
current policies and procedures for:
1. Educating the campus community, including security personnel and those persons who
  advise or supervise students, about sexual assault pursuant to section sixty-four hundred
  thirty-two of this article; b. educating the campus community about personal safety and
  crime prevention;
2. Reporting sexual assaults and working with victims during investigations;
3. Referring complaints to appropriate authorities;
4. Counseling victims; and
5. Responding to inquiries from concerned persons.

VII. Emergency Information/Emergency University Closing

In the case of an emergency, such as a pandemic flu outbreak, natural disaster or similar circumstances
beyond the University’s control in which the campus is forced to close, the University reserves the right to continue delivery of services through alternative means, including, but not limited to, remote instruction or changes in the weeks of a normal semester, in order to meet academic requirements. The University also reserves the right to invoke a different refund policy that will take into consideration the University’s efforts to continue the delivery of academic services. (See Weather Emergencies.)