Campus Safety

Campus Safety Annual Report

The following information is included in order to comply with the federal government's Jeanne Clery Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-542). Please follow the link to the Department of Education to obtain Campus Crime Statistics.

Reporting Procedures

Any crime, vehicle accident or suspicious activity on campus should be reported to Campus Safety immediately. Obtain and report as much information about the situation as possible. Crime can be reported to any campus security authority. Campus security authorities are any Campus Safety Officer, the Dean of Students, the Director of Counseling Services, the Physical Plant director, or Resident Directors.

To report a crime or emergency, members of the campus community should call the campus emergency line at 7-3500. An on-duty officer carries a cell phone and can be contacted directly for emergencies at 574.292.8100. All campus phones have the emergency number posted on the phone. In the lobbies or public areas of all campus buildings there are free on-campus public phones from which the Department of Campus Safety can also be reached by dialing 7-3500.

The 911 system is also available as back-up to the Bethel College emergency phone system. Students are encouraged to dial 911 to ensure quicker response to an emergency.

A crime may be reported to any campus security authority or any member of the department of campus safety. Campus security authorities are: dean of students, coordinator for wellness programming, and director of campus safety, physical plant director or resident directors.

Access to Campus Facilities

Most campus buildings and facilities are accessible to members of the campus community, guests and visitors during normal business hours, Monday through Friday and limited hours on Saturday.

All buildings currently use either a key lock system or access card system. The administrative and service buildings are locked after business hours and on weekends. The academic buildings are locked by midnight during weekdays and by the early evening hours on Saturday. Most buildings remain locked on Sundays.

Maintenance and Security of Campus Facilities

Bethel College is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for those who are a part of the college community. In recent years exterior lighting of the campus has been significantly improved along the walkways, parking lots and building exteriors. Periodic surveys are completed bye the department of campus safety and physical plant to determine if lighting is adequate. Members of the campus community are encouraged to report any lighting deficiencies to the department of campus safety at ext. 7-3500 or the physical plant director at ext. 7-3498.

Exterior doors on campus buildings are checked and secured each evening by campus safety officers. Any door and security hardware operating deficiencies are reported by the officers to the physical plant. Parking lots and facilities are actively patrolled by campus safety officers every shift.

Law Enforcement Authority and Interagency Relationships

The officers of the department of campus safety do NOT have full law enforcement authority but monitor all property owned or controlled by the college including streets contiguous and running through the campus and have been given authority by the president of the college to enforce campus rules and regulations.

The department of campus safety maintains a close working relationship with the Mishawaka Police Department, county and state law enforcement agencies and appropriate elements of the criminal justice system. Crime related reports are routinely exchanged with the local police department and informal meetings are often held. Campus safety and local police work together on investigations of criminal activity on and near Bethel College’s campus.

Sexual Assault Policy

Campus Crime Statistics Cleary 2005-2007

The following is a list of all major incidents reported to the Bethel College Campus Safety Division and local police agencies for the 12 month period. The reporting area includes all Bethel College owned property as well as the near perimeter (as available) as required by the Campus Security Cleary Act of 1990. The 2005-2007 numbers do not include MPD cases that remained open at the time of their report to BCCSD.

Offense 2007 2006 2005
  Campus Perimeter Campus Perimeter Campus Perimeter
Arson 00 01 00 00 00 01
Assault/Battery 00 01 00 00 01 02
Burglary 05 12 06 05 09 07
Hate Crimes 00 00 00 00 00 00
Motor Vehicle Theft 00 07 00 01 01 07
Murder 00 00 00 00 00 00
Robbery 00 06 00 03 00 10
Sex Offense 00 02 00 00 00 02
Forcible 00 00 00 00 00 01
Non-Forcible 00 02 00 00 00 01
Alcohol Violations 01 02 00 00 00 00
Drug Violations 00 08 00 01 00 06
Weapons Violations 00 02 00 01 00 01
NOTE: Perimeter Statistics include all public property adjacent to facilities owned or controlled by Bethel College to support its educational purposes.