A REPORT ON PUBLIC SAFETY
THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING  2004

YOUR SAFETY IS OUR CONCERN

This booklet consolidates information about crime statistics and safety procedures required by the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 as amended April 29, 1994; October 1998; and Nov. 1, 1999. THE UW POLICE DEPARTMENT 1014 Ivinson St.

The University of Wyoming has its own fully certified and independent police department which works closely with the City of Laramie Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff's Department, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

The UWPD is staffed by 13 certified police officers, all of whom are fully trained according to Wyoming state requirements and who have the authority of arrest. Communications personnel also meet training requirements for state certification.

Working 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, the UWPD provides a full range of law enforcement, education programs, and safety services. UWPD plays an important role in helping members of the campus community protect themselves. Officers are involved in a regular program of safety education and awareness. Individuals and organizations interested in sponsoring a safety program should call the Crime Prevention Office at 766-5782.

HOW TO REPORT A CRIME

All crimes and emergencies should be immediately reported to the UW Police Department. When calling from on-campus, dial 911 or 6-5179. Off campus, dial 766- 5179.

In addition to these regular telephone lines, several emergency telephones are located on campus. These phones are in bright yellow boxes with the word "Emergency" clearly printed on the outside. They are not coin-operated. By pushing a red button, these phones ring directly into the UWPD dispatch center.

The UWPD main office is open 24 hours a day. UWPD has two-way radio contact with all local emergency services, including the Laramie Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff's Department, the Laramie Fire Department and emergency medical services. The UW Police Department is equipped with a device to take emergency calls from TDD (hearing impaired) telephones.

Alternatively, students may contact the director of the Office of Student Life in Knight Hall (766-3296) or the director of Residence Life and Dining Services (766-3125).

Reports to these individuals, as well as professional and pastoral counselors, may be made on a voluntary, confidential basis for inclusion in UW's annual disclosure of crime statistics.

HOW WE RESPOND TO CRIME REPORTS

All reports of criminal activity are thoroughly investigated by the UWPD, and the investigation is documented in a police report. When the results of an investigation lead to the identification of a suspect, the report is filed with the Albany County Attorney's Office for criminal prosecution.

When a student is involved, the information is also provided to the university magistrate for appropriate university discipline as provided by university regulation (UNIREG) 231. UNIREGS 29 and 30 define the code of student conduct. They are included in the pamphlet "Conduct: Rights and Responsibilities of Students," which is sent to every applicant admitted to the university. UNIREG 232 describes authorized actions in cases of student misconduct including sex offenses.

Sanctions may include suspension or expulsion for student offenders and termination of employment for employee offenders. In on-campus disciplinary action, the accuser and accused are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present during campus hearings. Both accuser and accused shall be informed of the outcome of disciplinary hearings.

 For students living in residence halls or university apartments, violations of criminal law or regulations listed in housing contracts may also result in disciplinary sanctions through the UW Residence Life Office. Students involved in on-campus disciplinary activities related to their living in a residence hall may request a change of residence. Any such request will be honored promptly.

OFF-CAMPUS ACTIVITIES

Men and women who come to UW as students are responsible for their own actions on or off-campus. We can regulate on-campus conduct, but in most cases we can not, and do not regulate off-campus conduct. However, student conduct off-campus is subject to university regulation when a student or student organization is representing the university or participating in a university-sponsored event.

Instances of criminal activity occurring at off-campus housing and other properties used by recognized student organizations will be recorded for inclusion in this annual safety report.

Any student shall be subject to review and appropriated action by the University whenever it appears that the conduct has resulted in the restriction or hindrance educational purposes, processes or objectives of the University, or that the conduct demonstrates a threat to the safety or well-being of members of the University community.

PROMPT NOTIFICATION

A daily log of incidents reported to UWPD is made available to local news media and can be viewed on the UWPD website at Daily Report.   The Branding Iron, our student newspaper, prints a weekly column of reported incidents. When a serious incident represents an ongoing threat to members of the campus and Laramie communities, the press is immediately notified and, when appropriate, posters and/or flyers are distributed widely across campus.

ACCESS TO CAMPUS FACILITIES

Most campus buildings are accessible to members of the campus community, guests, and visitors during normal business hours Monday through Friday. All academic buildings are locked by UW custodians between the hours of 5-11 p.m. according to time schedules established by authorized users of each building. Some buildings, particularly those in which evening classes are held, have a later locking schedule.

Security guards check the exterior doors and patrol the interiors of campus buildings during nighttime hours. Defective locks are promptly reported to the Division of Physical Plant so repairs can be made quickly.

Each residence hall has a reception desk that is staffed 24 hours a day. Residence halls are secured 24 hours a day, and security guards patrol residence halls each evening. Additionally, UWPD does frequent foot patrols through the residence hall complex.  Each residence hall also has staff on duty to patrol the hall during evening hours.

Individual rooms are keyed with combination locks or keys. Door locks are changed within 24 hours following notification that a key has been lost.

LIGHTS AND LANDSCAPING

At night, the campus is well lit in all areas of pedestrian traffic. UWPD officers and security guards are constantly on the lookout for burnt out lights, reporting them for repair or replacement. This regular surveillance is in addition to routine UWPD lighting surveys which are conducted to facilitate routine repairs.

Physical Plant Landscaping personnel trim trees, bushes, and shrubbery whenever they could pose a potential safety hazard.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Widely recognized as the most under-reported of serious crimes, sexual assault statistics represent only a fraction of what is believed to occur in our society. This problem with accurate reporting may help contribute to an unwarranted sense of security on any college campus.

In order to sensitize students to the potential for sexual assault, several segments of the UW campus offer important education and awareness programs. Participating offices include UWPD, the UW Counseling Center, the Student Health Service, the UW residence halls, and the Office of Student Life. Additional information is available from the Albany County SAFE Project.

WHAT IS SEXUAL ASSAULT?

Forcible Rape - The carnal knowledge of a victim forcibly and against her/his will. This includes the actual use of force, the threat of force, threat of retaliation, and assault while the victim is physically helpless due to the effect of drugs or alcohol.

Non-forcible Rape - The carnal knowledge of a victim where no force is used and the victim is under the legal age of consent (18).

Acquaintance Rape - Sexual assault involving people who know one another. This may occur during a dating situation, a party, or in other situations where the perpetrator and victim may be together voluntarily. A majority of sexual assaults on campuses are acquaintance rapes.

Stranger Rape - A sexual assault involving a perpetrator unknown to the victim.

REPORTING SEXUAL ASSAULTS

Many victims of sexual assault suffer in silence, telling no one about what happened. Embarrassment, fear of not being believed, unfamiliarity with the legal system and the availability of support services, and fear of retaliation may all contribute to reluctance to report a sexual assault. At UW, all reports of sexual assault are taken seriously, and all victims are treated with dignity and respect. In order to deal most effectively with sexual assault on campus, we must be aware of all assaults that occur on campus. We strongly urge anyone who is a victim of sexual assault to report it promptly.

HOW TO REPORT A SEXUAL ASSAULT

If you are sexually assaulted, do not douche, shower or change clothing. All physical evidence, including fluids, hair, clothing, and fingernail scrapings, can be very important in later criminal proceedings. Notify police immediately. Prompt reporting gets you into the network of support services more quickly and increases the likelihood that the offender will be caught. Additionally, the sooner you report a sexual assault, the more promptly attention can be turned to your medical and emotional needs.

A medical examination, at no cost to you, will be conducted at Ivinson Memorial Hospital. If you request, a trained counselor from the UW Counseling Center will be brought in.

CRIME AT UW

While no college campus is completely safe, we believe that the University of Wyoming is a relatively safe campus.  That opinion is shared by UW students who, in a spring 2004 national student satisfaction survey, rated UW much higher than the national average in rating the statement, "The campus is safe and secure for all students."

While there are incidences of crime against individuals, crimes reported by the UWPD and LPD are overwhelmingly crimes against property.

CRIME STATISTICS

The following arrest statistics include on-campus and off-campus incidents which were reported on  the campus perimeter or on off-campus property owned by the University of Wyoming. These statistics are the most comprehensive and available at  Department of Education Web statistics for the University of Wyoming.

The University of Wyoming operates in compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Community Act Amendments of 1989. Drug and alcohol policies at the University of Wyoming are contained in UNIREGS 30, 39, and 240, summaries of which are printed annually in the Student Handbook and made available to all students free of charge.