3364-61-06. Mass notification and crime prevention

(A) Policy statement

The university of Toledo shall have in place mass notification and crime prevention measures.

(B) Purpose of policy

Promote a safe campus environment for students, faculty, staff, patients, and visitors through mass notification and crime prevention efforts in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

(C) Procedure

The university employs a variety of means to notify the campus community of any significant emergency or dangerous situation occurring on the campus involving an immediate threat to the health and safety of students or employees.

(1) Emergency phase - mass notification

(a) Indoor public address

(i) Indoor public address may be used in buildings, where available. The indoor public address begins with a tone or siren, amber light, and continues with a verbal announcement.

(ii) Public safety personnel have the authority and ability to activate a public address message.

(iii) The hospital operators on the health science campus, at the direction of public safety personnel, have the ability to announce code emergencies on the health science campus.

(b) Outdoor public address system

(i) An outdoor public address ("PA") system may be utilized for a qualifying event.

(ii) PA activation will begin with a tone or siren and continue with a verbal announcement.

(iii) Public safety personnel have the authority and ability to activate a public address message.

(iv) An "All Clear" announcement may be made when there is no longer a foreseeable threat to public safety.

(v) The outdoor PA system will be tested each month, on the first Friday at twelve noon. The emergency warning sirens in the university system will activate for three continuous minutes, simultaneously with the Lucas county emergency siren test.

(c) "UT alert" email and SMS messaging

(i) UT alert is available to all students, faculty, and staff and may be used to send an email message to students, faculty, and staff during a qualifying event. A SMS message is also sent to those who provide a cell phone number.

(ii) The office of public safety and university communication personnel have the authority and ability to issue a UT alert notification.

(iii) Upon confirming a qualifying event on campus has occurred, an authorized user will write the appropriate message and send the alert.

(iv) UT alerts may be used throughout an event to provide updates as new facts become available or circumstances change.

(v) An "All Clear" alert may be sent when there is no longer a foreseeable threat to public safety.

(2) Advisory phase - mass notification

(a) Timely warning notice ("TWN")

(i) All crimes or incidents presenting a threat to campus safety should be reported to the university police and/or campus security authorities.

(ii) On a case-by-case basis, the university will determine whether a TWN will be issued.

(iii) The TWN is reserved for certain crimes as determined necessary by the chief of police, or his or her designee in his or her absence, determined to occur within the Clery geography of campus and (a) reported to a campus security authority (b) considered to represent a serious or continuing threat to students, employees and the university community.

(iv) Every attempt will be made to distribute TWNs as soon as possible after relevant facts are gathered.

(v) TWNs contain a date, time and description of the incident and if known, information which and may aid in the identification of a suspect.

(vi) TWNs may be updated if new or more accurate information becomes available.

(vii) The university may withhold information, which if made public, could lead to the identification of a protected victim or risk compromising law enforcement efforts.

(viii) In instances when violent crime occurs between two individuals who know each other, the university will examine each instance to determine if the suspect poses a continued threat to the campus community.

(ix) The university makes every effort to properly classify a criminal incident when issuing a TWN. Further analysis and investigation may determine incidents do not fall within the definitions or jurisdictions of reportable crimes included in the annual security report and therefore may not be included in crime statistics.

(x) TWNs are distributed through email to all members of the university community and may be posted on the official website as well as social media websites operated by the university of Toledo police department.

(b) Crime awareness bulletins

(i) For incidents that do not fit the requirements of a TWN, the "UTPD" may issue crime awareness bulletins. Crime awareness bulletins are designed to heighten awareness about crime trends, solve crimes (both on and off campus), and/or provide other safety information.

(ii) Crime awareness bulletins contain a date, time and description of the incident and if known, information which and may aid in the identification of a suspect.

(iii) Crime awareness bulletins may be updated if new or more accurate information becomes available.

(iv) Crime awareness bulletins may be posted on the official website and social media websites operated by the university of Toledo police department.

(c) University of Toledo police

The university of Toledo police department provides a deterrent to criminal activity through enforcing criminal law and providing a police presence, and crime prevention education.

(d) Citizens

Each member of the university of Toledo community has an obligation to take cautionary measures to insure his/her safety and well-being on the campus. It is in every citizen's self-interest to be aware of the possibility of crime on campus and to take those steps necessary to safeguard against this occurrence.

(e) Employees

In the event an employee has knowledge a crime has been committed on campus, it is the employee's responsibility to report the crime to the university of Toledo police at 419-530-2600 and fully cooperate with the investigation. Those employees who meet the definition of campus security authority are required to immediately report Clery crimes to the university of Toledo police department and/or university Clery Act compliance officer.

Effective: 4/13/2020
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3364
Rule Amplifies: 3364
Prior Effective Dates: 06/01/2016