EWC Annual Security Report

Introduction

Many students and parents are concerned about the issue of personal safety on college campuses. Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) shares that concern and accepts its responsibility to employ security measures that ensure our students enjoy their time at EWC as free as possible from any threats to safety and well-being. Crime is a national problem that affects all communities and college campuses in our country, even those in a rural area such as Torrington. Although Eastern has been fortunate in not experiencing a significant number of crimes, it would be less than honest to state that incidents have not taken place. To minimize the occurrence of such incidents, college administrators, competent residence life and physical plant staff members, the city and county law enforcement authorities, and the students themselves must work together to ensure that students and their possessions are protected as much as possible.

The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990

The Campus Security Act (1990, 1994) and the Jeanne Clery Act (1998) are federal laws that require colleges and universities to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses to students, employees, and prospective students. The Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) crime statistics may be found on the website by clicking on “Crime Statistics” at http://ewc.wy.edu/administration/security.cfm The EWC Crime Awareness and Campus Security policies, procedures, and statistics are available upon request in the EWC Dean of Student’s Office.

Information regarding registered sex offenders in Goshen County is available through the Goshen County Sheriff’s Office: Sex Offenders,

http://goshensheriff.org/SexOffenders/Default.asp

Information regarding registered sex offenders in Wyoming is available through the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, Division of Criminal Investigations: Sex Offender Registration,

Student Demographic Information

Eastern Wyoming College district operations include campuses in Torrington and Douglas, Wyoming. Torrington is the administrative center and main campus of the district and Douglas functions as a branch campus. Enrollment is approximately 1600 credit students each semester with additional offerings in the community services and continuing education areas. Total head count credit enrollment includes course offerings in ten other rural communities. The Torrington campus enrolls more traditional full-time students than the other areas, which serves primarily non-traditional, part-time students.

Lighting/physical Plant Concerns

The Physical Plant Department maintains all college buildings and grounds with a concern for safety and security. Staff inspect campus facilities regularly; promptly making repairs affecting safety and security, and responding immediately to reports of potential safety and security hazards, such as broken windows and locks. The campus is well-lighted. Lighting surveys are conducted on a regular basis to ensure that lights are in proper working order.

Local Police Provide Campus Security

Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) maintains a close working relationship with both the Torrington Police Department and the Goshen County Sheriff's Department. The Torrington police routinely patrol the streets and parking lots on campus as well as the residence hall areas. They respond to both routine and emergency calls, and provide the college with timely information relating to criminal activity in the community so that college employees and students may act to protect themselves and assist in crime prevention efforts. The EWC Board of Trustees and the Torrington Police Department cooperatively instituted a part-time Campus Resource Officer program which will enhance the quality of life on campus by providing safety and security, maintain a high level of visibility around the campus, maintain order and provide a range of general and emergency services.

Reporting of Crimes

Crimes in progress and other emergency situations in on-campus buildings can be reported directly to the Torrington police by picking up any campus phone and dialing 9-911, and then following up by contacting the Dean of Students in the Student Services office. Upon receipt of the call, the police dispatcher will initiate the appropriate emergency response. Telephones are accessible in all buildings during normal hours of operation. Four 911 Emergency-Only telephones are located strategically along campus walk-ways, and dial directly to the police dispatch office.

Non-emergency situations should be reported to the Dean of Students located in the Student Services office, 532-8257, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Student Services office serves as the student assistance and information center for the campus. The Dean of Students and the staff are available to initiate crime reports, and to respond to questions or concerns regarding personal safety on campus. The Director of Residence Life may be contacted in the new residence hall after regular working hours.

If you are the victim of a crime and do not want to pursue action within EWC or the criminal justice system, you may still want to consider making a confidential report. With your permission, the Dean of Students can file a report on the details of the incident without revealing your identity. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with your wish to keep the matter confidential, while taking steps to ensure the future safety of yourself and others. With such information, EWC can keep an accurate record of the number of incidents involving students, 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 are counted and disclosed in the annual crimes statistics for the institution. An employee of an institution whose official responsibilities include providing psychological counseling to members of the institution’s community and who is functioning within the scope of his/her license or certification are not considered to be a campus security authority and are not required to report crimes for inclusion into the annual disclosure of crime statistics. As a matter of course, they are encouraged, if and when they deem it appropriate, to inform persons being counseled of the procedures to report crimes on a voluntary basis for inclusion into the annual crime statistics.

Timely Warnings:

In the event that a situation arises, either on- or off-campus, that, in the judgment of the Dean of Students or Campus Resource Officer, constitutes an ongoing or continuing threat, a campus-wide “timely warning” will be issued. The warning will be issued through the college e-mail system to faculty and staff, and on the EWC website at ewc.wy.edu, on electronic bulletin boards at the Information Center and Student Services, and in the student newspaper, Lancer Post, Depending on the particular circumstances of the crime, especially in all situations that could pose an immediate threat to the community and individuals, a copy of the notice will be posted in each residence hall, and at the front door of each on-campus classroom building. A broadcast message will also be sent to all telephones on campus. Anyone with information warranting a timely warning should report the circumstances to the Dean of Students by phone at 307-532-8257, in person at the EWC Student Services Office; or to the Campus Resource Officer at 307-532-7001 (Torrington Police Department).

Through a cooperative program of the Wyoming Department of Education, EWC is a participant in the anonymous WeTip hotline at www.wetip.com or 1-800-78-CRIME, where students and community members are urged, if they have information about vandalism, theft, drugs, threats, weapons, or any other illegal activities to call this 24 hour hotline to report concerns. Callers will not be asked for their name and will remain anonymous. There is up to $1,000 reward for calls leading to a conviction. Signs, posters, and business cars regarding the WeTip hotline have been disseminated throughout the campus.

Crime Awareness and Prevention Activities

Programs sponsored by community/campus organizations, residence life, college staff and local law enforcement personnel provide sessions each academic year on topics including personal safety awareness and security, domestic violence/sexual assault, the prevention of theft and vandalism, and alcohol and drug abuse. Information on safety and security issues is provided to students and employees regularly through bulletins, crime alerts, posters, brochures, and college and community newspapers.

College Access:

During business hours, EWC (excluding residence halls) will be open to students, parents, employees, contractors, guests, and invitees. During non-business hours access to all EWC facilities is by key, if issued, or by admittance via the Physical Plant staff. Over extended breaks, the doors of all halls will be secured around the clock. Some facilities may have individual hours, which may vary at different times of the year. Examples are the Student Center, the Library, and the Learning Skills Lab. In these cases, the facilities will be secured according to schedules developed by the department responsible.

Security Personnel:

EWC does not employ a police staff, however, the Physical Plant staff who work past regular business hours have the authority to ask persons for identification and to determine whether individuals have lawful business at EWC. Criminal incidents are referred to the Campus Resource Officer or the local police department who have jurisdiction on the campus. Community members, students, faculty, staff, and guests are encouraged to report all crimes and public safety related incidents to local law enforcement, the Dean of Students, and/or the Physical Plant staff in a timely manner.

Crime Prevention Programs:

Crime prevention programs and sexual assault prevention programs are offered on a continual basis. Specific programs designed to inform students and employees about campus security procedures and practices and to encourage students and employees to be responsible for their own security and the security of others include:

Summer Pre-Registration programs for parents (3 times annually)

Orientation activities (1 time annually)

Residence Halls educational programming (2 times monthly during academic year)

Student Services educational programming (3 to 4 times each semester) College Studies classes (every semester)

A common theme of all awareness and crime prevention programs is to encourage students and employees to be aware of their responsibilities for their own security and the security of others. In addition to seminars, information is disseminated to students and employees through crime prevention awareness packets, security alert posters, electronic displays, videos, and articles in college newspapers. When time is of the essence, information is released to the college community through security alerts posted prominently throughout campus, through e-mail messages to employees and through website notifications.

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response:

Eastern Wyoming College educates the student community about sexual assaults and date rape through freshman orientations each fall. These topics are also covered in the required HMDV 1000-College Studies course. The Goshen County Task Force on Family Violence and Sexual Assault offers sexual assault, education and information programs to college students and employees upon request. Educational programming and literature on date rape education, risk reduction and EWC response is available through Residence Life and other Student Services offices.

If you are a victim of a sexual assault at this institution, your first priority should be to get to a place of safety. You should then obtain necessary medical treatment. Student Services strongly advocates that a victim of sexual assault report the incident in a timely manner. Time is a critical factor for evidence collection and preservation. An assault should be reported directly to a Residence Life staff member, the Dean of Students, or another college administrator. Filing a report will not obligate the victim to prosecute, nor will it subject the victim to scrutiny or judgmental opinions from EWC employees. Filing a sexual assault report will:

Ensure that a victim of sexual assault receives the necessary medical treatment and tests.

Provides the opportunity for collection of evidence helpful in prosecution, which cannot be obtained later (ideally a victim of sexual assault should not wash, douche, use the toilet, or change clothing prior to a medical/legal exam).

Assure the victim has access to free confidential counseling from counselors specifically trained in the area of sexual assault crisis intervention.

When a sexual assault victim contacts Eastern Wyoming College, the Torrington Police Department or Goshen County Sheriff’s Office will be notified as well. The victim of a sexual assault may choose for the investigation to be pursued through the criminal justice system, and Eastern Wyoming College, or only the latter. A college employee will guide the victim through the available options and support the victim in his or her decision. Various counseling options are available from the EWC Counseling/Testing Center and the Dean of Students. Counseling and support services outside EWC can be obtained through the Goshen County Task Force on Family Violence and Sexual Assault and Peak Wellness.

Eastern Wyoming College ’s Student Code of Conduct prohibits “Participating in any actual or threatened non-consensual sexual act.” And outlines disciplinary proceedings, and guidelines for cases involving sexual misconduct. The accused and the victim will each be allowed to choose one person who has had no formal legal training to accompany them throughout the formal grievance procedure. Both the victim and accused will be informed of the outcome of the grievance procedure. A student found guilty of violating the EWC Student Code of Conduct could be criminally prosecuted in the state courts and may be suspended or expelled from the College for the first offense. Student victims have the option to change their academic and/or on-campus living situations after an alleged sexual assault, if such changes are reasonably available.

The Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) crime statistics, policies, and procedures may be found on the website by clicking on “Campus Crime” at http://ewc.wy.edu/administration/security.cfm (this document). In accordance to the “Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act” of 2000, which amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Secually Violent Offender Registration Act, the Jeanne Clery Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, EWC is providing a link to the information regarding registered sex offenders in Goshen County available through http://goshensheriff.org/SexOffenders/Default.asp and in Wyoming available through the http://attorneygeneral.state.wy.us/dci/so/so_registration.html .

Alcohol & Drug Enforcement Policies at EWC

The Eastern Wyoming College Board of Trustees has enacted a drug and alcohol policy that states that drugs and alcoholic beverages may not be present on campus or at college-sponsored activities. The policy states that the college may take disciplinary action for the following violations:

The possession, use, sale, or distribution of narcotics, illegal drugs, or prescription drugs for which the person does not have a prescription, on college premises or at college-sponsored activities.
The possession, use, sale, or distribution of alcoholic beverages on college premises or at college-sponsored activities.
Please refer to the alcohol/drug sections in the Student Code of Conduct and the "Chemical Abuse and Alcohol" policy for more detailed information on disciplinary measures related to illicit alcohol and drug use.

Prevention Programs:

EWC has a variety of methods to prevent the illicit use of drugs and abuse of alcohol by students and employees. The programs provide services related to drug use and abuse including dissemination of informational materials, educational programs, College Studies classes, website services (mystudentbody.com); counseling services, referrals and college disciplinary actions. The EWC registration statement provided to every student includes the alcohol and drug enforcement policies at EWC.

Wyoming Laws:

Illegal Possession: Any person under the age of 21 who has any alcoholic beverage in his or her possession or who is under the influence of alcohol is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Falsification of Identity: Any person under the age of 21 who attempts in any manner to purchase alcoholic or malt beverages or who falsifies any identification or uses any false identification in order to obtain alcoholic or malt beverages is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Driving While Under the Influence (DUI) – Under 21:
The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for person under 21 is .02% as opposed to a BAC of .08% for those of legal age. A .02% BAC would result from consuming any alcohol.

Consequences of a Misdemeanor: The consequences upon conviction for violating any of the misdemeanors listed above shall be imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of up to $750, or both. Minors convicted of DUI may have additional consequences.

Student and Employee Responsibilities

The cooperation and involvement of students and employees in a campus safety program is absolutely essential. Individuals must assume responsibility for their own personal safety and the security of their belongings. The following is a list of some simple, common sense precautions:

Avoid Being a Victim

Walk with others when possible; be especially cautious during evening hours; keep keys ready, use sidewalks and well-lit pathways; be careful about whom you let approach you when alone. Call 9-911 in an on-campus building, or utilize the Emergency-Only telephones outside on-campus if you notice something suspicious or believe yourself to be
in danger.

Lock It Up

Use the locks on exterior building doors, individual rooms and offices, and vehicles; keep windows secured; and store valuables out of sight. Weapons are not allowed in on-campus facilities and residence halls.

Record All Serial Numbers

Maintain a list of serial numbers and descriptions for valuable property (cameras, stereos, bicycles, etc.) Items such as coats, books, CDs and cassettes without identifying numbers should be labeled. An engraver suitable for metal, plastic or wooden objects is available through Residence Life.

Be A Crime Stopper

Report all accidents, thefts or other criminal activities to the Torrington Police or the Dean of Students as soon as possible. Help the Torrington Police do their job by cooperating when asked to provide a statement, sign a complaint, or testify in court. Stay calm and give accurate details when making calls for assistance. Be concerned for the safety and property of everyone.

On-campus Housing Security

Eastern Wyoming College takes pride in our efforts to ensure our students safety. The following represents a summary of the ways this concern is addressed:

Staffing

The Residence Halls have adult housing staff members living in the buildings. Student Housing Staff (Resident Assistants and Residence Life work-study students) also reside in the building. Housing staff responsibilities include securing doors, observing activity in the facility and responding appropriately, reporting incidents and potential problems, reporting maintenance and safety concerns.

Procedures

The residence halls each have four exits. All main exit doors are unlocked at 7 AM Monday-Friday by housing staff or custodial personnel. Side/back doors at both buildings are locked and alarmed at 6 PM Monday – Friday by housing staff. These doors remain locked all day on Saturday and Sunday and during school breaks/holidays. The front door of the residence halls are locked at 10 PM each night. Housing staff unlock the front door on weekends at 10 AM. During school breaks/holidays the front doors remain locked 24 hours. Residents have outside front door keys which they can use when the doors are locked.

The residence halls have a duty station near the front door, which enables housing staff to keep track of which residents and visitors are in the building. This station is manned by Housing staff from 6 PM – 11:00 PM, Sunday-Thursday, and from 6 PM – 2 AM, Friday and Saturday. Housing staff are trained to enforce quiet hours and visitation hours. They make rounds of the building and respond to student requests. Visitors are required to sign-in beginning at 8 PM, and visitation hours end at 10:00 PM Sunday-Thursday nights and at 2 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. Residents are responsible for the conduct of their visitors.

During Fall and Spring orientation meetings with all residence students are warned about the dangers of leaving their room doors unlocked and exterior door security measures. Fire safety, fire alarm and tornado procedures, theft prevention, and domestic violence/sexual assault issues are also addressed.

Key Control

Student room door keys, as well as all campus door keys, utilize the Best lock system. Keys are not marked to indicate building or room number.

Crime Statistics

You can access the Eastern Wyoming College crime statistics report directly from the Office of Postsecondary Education.

Related Links