University of Southern Maine

University of Southern Maine

Safety and Security Information Report

Introduction                                                                                                                                                   

U.S.M. is a community of over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 2,000 employees. Two of the campuses are located 12 miles apart, in the town of Gorham and the city of Portland. A third campus, Lewiston/Auburn College is located in the city of Lewiston, approximately 38 miles away. The University shares many of the same interests and problems of its local communities, including crime. Although the University has been fortunate and has not experienced significant numbers of violent crimes, crimes do and can occur on our campuses.

The information provided in this report is part of USM's commitment to campus safety, crime prevention and awareness. It is the compliance document for the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1998 (formerly the Crime Awareness and Security Act of 1990). Please read this information, learn how to prevent crimes, report crimes, and practice safe behavior.

Even though USM Police is the department responsible for campus safety, no one department can accomplish this task alone. Each student, faculty and staff member is encouraged to participate as we work together to keep USM safer!

The Office of Community Standards compiles this report. Information for this report is collected from the Office of Community Standards, the USM Police Department, and appropriate local police agencies. An e-mail announcing the updated version of this report is sent annually to all currently enrolled students and all faculty and staff of the University.

Reporting of Criminal Actions or Emergencies                                                                                             

The USM Police Department is the department responsible for law enforcement, security and emergency response at the University of Southern Maine on the Gorham and Portland campuses. The primary office of USM Police is located on the Gorham campus in the basement of Upton Hall on the Center side of the building. There is a branch office on the Portland campus in the Sullivan Gym. The USM Police Department is staffed by certified, professional police officers. The Department investigates all reports of criminal action and is ready to respond immediately to initiate whatever action is necessary to resolve emergencies. While the USM Police investigate reports that occur at Lewiston/Auburn College, emergency police assistance is handled by the Lewiston Police Department.

Students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to report criminal actions or other emergencies by notifying the USM Police Department or the Lewiston Police Department immediately.

Gorham and Portland Campuses: To report a crime or emergency, members of these campus communities should call the USM Police Department at: Emergency number on campus is 911or from off campus or cell phones 780-5211.  The non-emergency number 780-5211. When calling from on-campus telephones, you are only required to dial 911 for emergencies or 5211 for non-emergencies These numbers are staffed 24 hours a day by full-time and certified communications officers.

Lewiston/Auburn College: To report an emergency members of this campus should call Lewiston Police Department at: Emergency number 911. To report a crime USM Police should be called at 780-5211. 

Well-marked exterior telephones are located at the entrances to all residence halls on the Gorham campus. These direct-ring telephones may be used to report a criminal incident, a fire, any other type of emergency or to request an escort from the USM Police Department. Outdoor emergency direct-ring telephones are also located on the Gorham and Portland campuses. These telephones are easily identified by the blue lights on top and their use provides fast, efficient campus police response to emergencies.

Free on-campus public telephones are located in the lobbies or public areas of most Gorham and Portland campus buildings. Using these telephones, the USM Police Department may be contacted by dialing 911 for emergencies or 5211 for non-emergencies.

The USM Police Department maintains contact with all area police departments, fire departments and other emergency services. Although campus police initiate the response, additional assistance and support may be obtained immediately from area police and fire departments.

The USM Police Department's telephone numbers (911 for emergencies and 780-5211 or non-emergencies) are highlighted in the campus directory and are included in many University publications.

Campus Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

The Gorham and Portland campuses of the University are staffed by a fulltime Police Department with primary responsibility for campus safety and immediate response to emergency situations of all kinds. Emergency situations at the Lewiston Auburn Campus are responded to by the Lewiston Police Department. Emergency response to all campuses, depending on the specific situation, is also provided  by fire, rescue and other emergency services from the community in which the campus is located as well as county and state emergency response services.

Emergency response policies and procedures for all of the USM campuses and can be reviewed at http://www.usm.maine.edu/emergency. Please note that specific instructions during an emergency may vary from those appearing in the procedures and will be communicated to community members at the time of the emergency through one or more of the emergency notification mechanisms outlined below. The University community is notified, minimally, on an annual basis as to the location of emergency response policies and procedures. Emergency procedures and notification mechanisms are reviewed and tested on an annual basis. University community members will be notified via one or more of the methods included below when their participation in testing activities is required.

Procedures and mechanisms to notify the campus community are in place and include one or more of the following depending on the specific situation:

1.       USM Alert -text message notification. Register at http://www.usm.maine.edu/USMAlert/

2.      E mail notification to all USM campus community members

3.      USM website http://www.usm.maine.edu/emergency

4.      USM Emergency (Storm) telephone lines 207-780-4800 (LAC only 207-653-6595)

5.      Local television, radio and/or electronic media

6.      Campus telephone mass distribution.

7.      Printed and posted notifications

Sexual Assault                                                                                                                                                   

The University of Southern Maine does not tolerate sexual assault in any form. University policy prohibits any unlawful sexual act and/or forced sexual contact. Violators of the sexual assault policy may be subject to criminal prosecution and disciplinary measures up to and including dismissal. The complete sexual assault policy and procedures are maintained by the Office of Community Standards. To see a copy on the web go to http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/assaultpolicy.html.  You may also call the Office of Community Standards, 780-5242 to request a hard copy.

Campus sexual assault education programs are aimed at the awareness and understanding and prevention of sexual assault including rape, acquaintance rape and other sex offenses. If a sex offense occurs, students are encouraged to report it to campus police. The USM Police Department is available to conduct educational programs designed to raise awareness of sexual assault issues. The department is also responsible for investigating reports of sexual assault.

Victims of sexual assault are made aware of the importance of preserving evidence, which may be necessary to prove sexual assault.

Victims are informed of their options to notify proper law enforcement authorities, including on-campus and local police as well as their option to be assisted by campus authorities.

Victims are notified of the existing counseling, mental health, and student health services available to victims of sexual assault both on and off campus. Assistance and options are also made available to victims who request a change in academic and living arrangements after an alleged incident of sexual assault, if such changes are reasonably available.

As provided for in the University of Maine System Conduct Code, both the accuser and the accused are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present during a campus disciplinary proceeding. Both the accuser and the accused shall be informed of the outcome of any campus disciplinary proceeding brought alleging a sexual assault. The usual sanctions imposed for sex offenses are suspension from the University for no less than one year up to and including dismissal from the University of Maine system.

For additional information on the sexual assault policy and procedures, call, Lyndsay Santeusanio, Sexual Assault/Relationship Violence Advocate,780-4761.  For information on the Student Conduct Code and the procedures for campus disciplinary action, call the Office of Community Standards, 780-5242.

Official Reporting:  All University of Southern Maine students, employees, or visitors are strongly encouraged to make an official report of any incident of sexual assault to the USM Police (780-5211) and/or Office of Community Standards (780-5242) whether the incident occurred on or off campus. Official reporting may initiate a course of action.

Anonymous Reporting:  Any University of Southern Maine students, employees, or visitors may file an anonymous report via website http://www.usm.maine.edu/police/assault_form.htm. Anonymous reports are not identifiable by the recipient. Such reports may be filed irregardless of any legal or University disciplinary action.

Access to Campus Facilities                                                                                                                            

USM buildings and facilities (excluding residence halls) are accessible to members of the campus community, guests and visitors during normal operating hours Monday through Friday. Buildings are also opened on weekends and holidays on an as-needed basis.

Exterior doors on campus buildings are locked and secured after normal operating hours. Police officers routinely check campus buildings.

Exterior doors to residence halls are locked 24 hours a day.

Maintenance and Security of Campus Facilities                                                                                              

The University is committed to maintaining a safer environment, which extends to maintenance issues such as campus landscaping, lighting and door locks. Both police and campus maintenance staff routinely check the campus physical plant for maintenance and security deficiencies. Members of the campus community are encouraged to report any of these deficiencies to the Department of Facilities Management 780-4160 or the USM Police Department any time by calling 780-5211.

All reports, which present a safety/ security hazard, are given high priority and receive immediate attention. A campus safety survey is conducted each year by the Occupational Safety and Health Coordinator.

Law Enforcement Authority and Interagency Relationships                                                                         

The law enforcement officers of USM Police receive their police authority pursuant to Chapter 544, Section 142 or PL-1971 as amended by Chapter 541, Pat B, Section 72 of PL-1979 and the resolution adopted on September 25, 1979 by the Board of Trustees.

Police Officers of the USM Police Department have full law enforcement authority including arrest powers on all property owned or controlled by the University, including streets running through the University's campuses.

Police Officers of the USM Police Department are trained in the same manner as all other public law enforcement officers in the State of Maine. They each receive annual firearms training and periodic additional training as required.

The USM Police Department maintains close working relationships with the surrounding Police Departments to each campus and with state and federal law enforcement agencies of the criminal justice system. Regular meetings are held, both on a formal and informal basis. Written mutual aid agreements have been established several municipalities.  Crime related reports and statistics are routinely exchanged.

A number of recognized student organizations maintain either meeting and/or living facilities off campus. Through an interagency agreement between the Gorham Police Departments and the University of Southern Maine Police Department, any reports related to crime activity associated with these student organization off-campus facilities are shared or reported to the USM Police Department. These reports are subsequently shared with the appropriate University administration and departments.

Security Awareness and Crime Prevention Programs                                                                            

Security awareness and crime prevention programs are a critical part of USM's effort to provide a safer campus environment for students and employees. The University's crime prevention efforts are based upon five concepts:

1. Eliminating or minimizing criminal opportunities whenever possible

2. Encouraging students and employees to be responsible for their own security and the security of others

3. Ongoing coordination and review of security and victim response service

4. Violence response education activities to reduce risky behaviors and change community attitudinal norms

5. Victim response education and training to increase effective and timely community response to victims.

The following is a list of the crime awareness and prevention programs offered by the University of Southern Maine.

1. Training: Programs on how to assist sexual assault victims as a first responder that cover education, resources, and first response skills are offered to faculty, staff, resident hall staff, student leaders, and the general student body. Specific programs are periodically provided to staff in each Student and University Life department. Training is also offered to identified student groups including the Women’s Resources volunteer staff. Additionally, dating violence/ domestic violence education is available upon request. Staff from Student and University Life departments attend conferences and participate in committees on campus sexual assault and campus crime prevention. The University of Southern Maine also serves as a source of training and information for other higher education institutions, and agencies offering sexual assault prevention and response services.

2. Escort Service: The USM Police Department provides an escort service for safety purposes for people walking on-campus. Members of the campus community may make use of this service by calling campus police at 780-5211.

3. Residence Halls: At the beginning of the academic semester residence hall floor meetings address security awareness and crime prevention.

4. Material, Distributed: The documents and web links listed below are distributed to all faculty, staff and students annually.                                                                                                                                                    

a.  The brochure, “Information About Alcohol and Drugs for Students and Employee of the University of Maine system.   While the brochure is attached to the annual e-mail sent to all faculty, staff, and students it is also found at the following web link     http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/Alcohol%20&%20Drug%202006.pdf          

 b.  The web link to the “Policy on Sexual Assault”. http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/assaultpolicy.html                   

c.  The web link to the “Stalking & Relationship Abuse Policy”.  http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/rvspolicy.html 

d.  The web link to the “Good Samaritan Policy”.  http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/samaritan.html                     

Faculty and Staff receive a hard copy of the brochure on Sexual Harassment.  Students who wish to review the brochure will find it at http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/sexharasbroc08.pdf.

Student Conduct Code is given to every residential student annually at the time they move into the residence halls and is available to all other members of the USM community at  http://www.maine.edu/pdf/06-09conductcodebookcleancopyfinal052206.pdf .

Additionally campus safety tips which are found at the end of this report and are provide to the campus community each time a campus safety alert is issued.

5. Printed Material, Available on Campus:
a. A brochure on sexual harassment provided by the Division of Human Resources.
b. Educational brochures on sexual assault education University Health and Counseling Services.
c. Educational materials on dating/domestic violence.
d. Substance abuse education materials that integrate sexual assault education and crime prevention education.

6. Residence Hall Safety: Programs are offered throughout the academic year for students living in University housing. Examples of safety awareness and crime prevention program to include the following: safety awareness floor meetings, sexual assault prevention workshops, fire safety workshops, safety discussions, debates on safety topics such as "24-hour lockdowns," hall council safety discussions, alcohol awareness, sexual assault dating/domestic violence, violence prevention, sexual harassment programs, and sexual assault and domestic violence programming offered by the Women's Resource Center and other campus and local resources.

7. Campus Wide Crime Prevention Presentations: Under these periodic programs include: safety discussion groups, crime prevention panels, sexual assault awareness workshops, radio and television interview programs on the topic of sexual assault and crime prevention.

8. Emergency Telephones: Outdoor emergency telephones are located on both campuses and are easily identified by blue lights on top. These telephones are linked directly to USM Police in order to provide fast and efficient response to emergencies.

9. New Employee Orientation: At the time of hire and periodically thereafter, University employees are provided information concerning USM campus security procedures, practices, and crime prevention awareness. Notice of the availability of the Campus Safety Report on the web is distributed to all employees, as are University materials regarding alcohol and drugs, safety and hazard programs and University policy statements issued by the University of Maine System, Board of Trustees, which are specific to sexual harassment, sexual assault and non-discrimination.

10. Operation Identification: The USM Police Department offers a program which encourages students and employees to engrave serial or ID numbers on items of value such as bicycles, motor bikes, etc. For more information, call campus police at 780-5211.

11. Sexual Assault Response, Education, and Risk Reduction: The Division of Student and University Life in cooperation with a number of University departments provides the campus community with sexual assault response education and risk reduction programs, a variety of educational materials, and educational workshops designed for students, faculty, and staff. Prevention education is targeted to special populations: high violence risk groups (such as athletes and fraternities), and vulnerable populations: sororities, female athletes, international students, etc., and involves students in the development of educational strategies. Videotapes, campus television and radio, literature tables in high traffic areas, table tents, posters and awareness weeks are all educational strategies utilized.   The University’s policies on sexual assault may be found at http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/assaultpolicy.html.  The policy on Relationship Violence and Stalking is found at http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/rvspolicy.html.  For printed copies of these policies, please call the Office of Community Standards (207) 780-5242 and provide us with your name and mailing address or stop by 125 Upton Hall on the Gorham Campus.

12. Campus Safety Alerts (Timely Notice) On Campus Crime: These are provided to protect the safety of the campus community and to prevent similar incidents. USM provides these “alerts” for crimes or people considered to be a threat to members of the campus communities. Add to every alert is information on campus safety tips.  Campus Safety Alerts are initiated by the Campus Safety Alert Group in conjunction with the USM Police Department and the USM Office of Media Relations. Please address questions to Craig Hutchinson, Vice President for Student and University at 780-4035 or craigh@usm.maine.edu.

13. Uniform Crime Report: The USM Police Department is one of a small number of institutions who have for a number of years voluntarily submitted data to the State and National Uniform Crime Reporting System. The University of Southern Maine and the USM Police Department have been firmly committed to honest and timely reporting of all campus crime statistics and will continue to report in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1998 (formerly the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990).

Crime Statistics
An informed campus community is a safety conscious community, therefore, the following statistics are provided to complement USM's safety awareness and education effort and to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1998 (formerly the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990). U.S.M. acknowledges that all crimes are underreported, particularly in the area of sexual assault. We urge all members of the campus community to report crimes and to be active, safety-conscious members of our community. The statistics in this report include crimes reported at the Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston/Auburn campuses and from local police departments for crimes occurring on public property contiguous to our campuses. If you have any questions about this information, contact the Office of Community Standards at 780-5242.

GORHAM CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE

Explanation of Categories:

1. On Campus refers to what occurs inside the boundaries of the campus.
2. Residential Facilities are a subset of the On Campus totals.
3. Non Campus Buildings include such buildings as Greek Houses in the Town of Gorham and Portland Hall, 400 Congress St., etc., in the City of Portland.
4. Public Property is the sidewalk, roadway and opposite sidewalk that boarders each campus (e.g. School St. and College Ave. in the Town of Gorham).
5. Students who are summonsed or arrested for liquor law, drug law, and illegal weapons possession AND are also sent through the campus disciplinary process are only count once in the arrest category.
6. For 2004 Liquor Law and Drug Law Arrests and Referrals for Discipline were not divided out.

HATE/BIAS CRIMES:  No Hate/Bias crimes occurred on the Gorham Campus during calendar years 2005, 2006, and 2007 for the above categories of offenses.

PORTLAND CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE

Explanation of Categories

1. On Campus refers to what occurs inside the boundaries of the campus.
2. Non Campus Buildings include such buildings as Greek Houses in the Town of Gorham and Portland Hall, 400 Congress St., etc., in the City of Portland.
3. Public Property is the sidewalk, roadway and opposite sidewalk that boarders each campus (e.g. School St. and College Ave. in the Town of Gorham).
4. Students who are summonsed or arrested for liquor law, drug law, and illegal weapons possession AND are also sent through the campus disciplinary process are only count once in the arrest category.

HATE/BIAS CRIMES:  No Hate/Bias crimes occurred on the Portland Campus during calendar years 2005, 2006, and 2007 for the above categories of offenses.

LEWISTON AUBURN COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE

Explanation of Categories:

1. On Campus refers to what occurs inside the boundaries of the campus.
2. LAC does not have any residence halls.
3. LAC does not have any non campus buildings
4. Public Property is the sidewalk, roadway and opposite sidewalk that boarders each campus (e.g. School St. and College Ave. in the Town of Gorham).
5. Students who are summonsed or arrested for liquor law, drug law, and illegal weapons possession AND are also sent through the campus disciplinary process are only count once in the arrest category.

HATE/BIAS CRIMES:  No Hate/Bias crimes occurred on the LAC Campus during calendar years 2005, 2006, and 2007 for the above categories of offenses.

Explanation of Crime Statistics:  These charts include offenses that were reported to USM Police, local police departments and to USM officials who have responsibilities for student and campus activities. These offenses are compiled in accordance with the provisions of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. This federal legislation is named in memory of 19 year old Lehigh University freshman Jeanne Ann Clery who was assaulted and murdered while attending Lehigh University.

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policies                                                                                                              

The University of Southern Maine views alcohol and substance abuse as a serious problem. In compliance with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act and the Drug Free Workplace Act, the University publishes and distributes annually a booklet which informs all students and employees of U.S.M.'s substance abuse policy, sanctions for violation of the policy, and state and federal alcohol and drug laws, offenses and sanctions. Also included in the booklet is how information about the campus safety report and safety tips.  For a copy of the booklet Alcohol and Drugs, What Every Student and Employee Should Know about the Use of and Abuse of Alcohol and Illegal Drugs go to http://www.usm.maine.edu/ocs/Alcohol%20&%20Drug%202006.pdf or call the Office of Community Standards (207) 780-5242 and we would be glad to print off and mail you a copy.

Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act                                                                                                                

 The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000 requires that all states provide each college and University with the names of all current students and employees at their respective campuses who are registered sex offenders.  In turn each institution is required to make this list available upon request.  To find out if there is any student or employee at USM in the list as a registered sex offender, please contact the USM Police Department, (207) 780-5211  

Campus Safety Tips

We urge you to pay careful attention to the following safety guidelines.  As with all communities, each individual plays an important role in the safety and security of all.

• Lock the door to your room or office, carry your keys with you, and don’t lend/give keys to anyone.  Don’t prop doors open.
• Avoid walking alone after dark.  Campus escorts are available by calling 780-5211 (from a campus phone, dial 5211).
• Emergency phones are located in the lobby of each residence hall and under the blue lights on the Gorham and Portland campuses.
• Report suspicious behavior and individuals to police or staff members.

Campus police are located on the lower level of Upton Hall on the Gorham campus and in the lobby of the Sullivan Gym on the Portland Campus. 

Gorham and Portland Campuses: To report a crime or emergency, members of these campus communities should call the USM Police Department at: Emergency number on campus is 911or from off campus or cell phones 780-5211.  The non-emergency number 780-5211. When calling from on-campus telephones, you are only required to dial 911 for emergencies or 5211 for non-emergencies

Lewiston/Auburn College: To report an emergency members of this campus should call Lewiston Police Department at: Emergency number 911. To report a crime USM Police should be called at 780-5211. 

Requesting a printed copy of this Report                                                                                                           

A printed copy of this report is available by contacting the Office of Community Standards at (207) 780-5242. When a staff member is unavailable to take your call or during non business hours voice mail will take your message. Please be sure to provide your name and a complete mailing address when requesting the Campus Safety Report.

 Though we believe USM provides a safer environment, we can't lose sight of the fact that USM, like campuses everywhere, is not always immune from the crime problems of the external community. If you have any questions about the crime statistics, please contact Stephen Nelson, Director of Community Standards, at 780-5242 or e-mail him at snelson@usm.maine.edu . Concerns about safety issues on campus, should be directed to Lisa M. Beecher, USM Chief of Police, at 780-5211, beecher@usm.maine.edu .

University of Southern Maine
P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104
(207) 780-4141 or 1-800-800-4USM

A member of the University of Maine System