Campus Safety

Federal Crime Report Information

Consistent with Millsaps' mission as a quality institution of higher education, and with the College's commitment to a safe learning and work environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors, this information is presented as a service, and in compliance with the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act (Federal Register 34 CFR 668, Nov. 1, 1999).

Founded in 1890, Millsaps College is located on approximately 100 acres in Jackson, Mississippi, (SMSA population 400,000), the cultural, financial and governmental center of the state. The College has throughout its history been committed to a rigorous academic program in the liberal arts and sciences as well as providing a safe and sound learning environment. Fall and spring semester enrollment averages around 1500 students. The campus is further populated by approximately 350 faculty and staff persons.

The Campus Safety Department is the agency that is given responsibility for the following:

• Maintaining a secure campus environment through the prevention of crime,
• immediate and professional response to all manner of on-campus emergencies,
• the gathering of reports and data related to criminal activity and non-criminal violations of campus rules and regulations,
• the creation and maintenance of the computerized data base of on-campus incidents,
• investigation services,
• parking control,
• disaster response and coordination.

Find crime statistics for the previous three years for Millsaps or other highter education institutions at DOE Crime Statistics.

Reporting Procedures for Criminal Behavior and Other Emergencies

To report an on-campus crime or other emergency, members of the Millsaps community are to dial 1-2-3-4 from any on-campus phone (974-1234 from off-campus). The dialing of this number puts the caller into direct contact with trained professional security officers who are on duty 24 hours per day. The emergency call system is equipped with auxiliary power to enable continuous functioning even during power outages and adverse weather conditions. This distinct emergency number (1-2-3-4) is published in the student handbook, the campus phone directory, and in the Jackson telephone directory.

A number of outdoor emergency call boxes are located on the campus. These phones are one-button, automatic units that do not require any additional actions (other than speaking) on the part of the caller. The call boxes connect the caller directly with the Campus Safety Department's twenty-four hour dispatch center.

The Campus Safety Department owns and maintains numerous fire, burglar, and panic/duress alarm systems on campus. They are all monitored by an on-campus computerized central station. All systems are equipped with standby power. The Department's dispatcher has telephone contact with the Jackson Police Department at all times. Other emergency personnel can be immediately summoned in the same prompt manner. There is also direct radio contact with the six hospitals and colleges within a one-half mile radius of the College.

The Department maintains both day and night supervisors on premises. Other supervisory personnel are on 24-hour call. Whenever away from the campus, each stays within the immediate reach of digital pagers, cellular phones and mobile radios. This assures prompt managerial back-up for line personnel.

The two largest medical centers in the state are located within one city block of the Millsaps campus. Both maintain excellent emergency facilities. Jackson Fire Department Station #17 sits adjacent to the east side of the Millsaps campus and gives virtually instantaneous response for both fire and medical emergencies.

Campus Safety administrative offices are located in Sanderson Hall. Additionally, there is a dispatch/communication center staffed 24 hours per day at the north entrance to campus. Since the Campus Safety Office maintains the crime report database, any crime or potential crime is to be reported to Campus Safety. In order to procure complete information, all crime victims are to be interviewed by a member of Campus Safety.

With the exception of counselor notification to Security of potentially threatening situations requiring a timely warning to the campus community, confidential reporting is not currently done.

A crime log, for public perusal, is maintained in the Campus Safety headquarters office. Incidents are immediately logged upon completion of incident reports. Also, report summaries are promptly electronically distributed to college executives and public relations.

Monitoring of off-campus illegal activity by students results from liaison with the local police department. The College has no off-campus Greek buildings or housing.

Annual Disclosure of Crime Statistics

The Campus Safety Department maintains an incident database that is fed from patrol officers' initial offense/incident reports. The administrative assistant inputs the information into the database and assigns a case number. The Safety Director later compares the reports with UCR definitions and DOE reporting criteria. The required reportable occurrences are tallied for each calendar year. Police statistics for the local area are obtained through the Safety Director meeting with police crime analysts. The local statistics come from police standard reporting zones contiguous to the campus. Campus judicial actions are garnered from the Student Affairs discipline officer's database.

Access to Campus Facilities

Millsaps' 100-acre campus is completely fenced. There are eight vehicle/pedestrian gates that are open during daylight hours. After dark all perimeter gates except two are closed and locked. The two remaining open gates are controlled entry (Millsaps car decal/ID or drivers license sign-in by visitors).

In order to assist Campus Safety officers in locating and calling students/faculty for verification of after hours visitors, the north dispatch center is equipped with a terminal into the campus main frame computer/data base . Other than residence halls, most campus buildings and facilities are accessible to members of the campus community, guests and bona fide visitors during normal hours of business/instructional periods, seven days per week, excluding holidays. Academic buildings are locked at midnight and reopened at 6:30 a.m.

Computerized, electronic card access control has been installed on some academic buildings and most residence halls. The system can grant/deny access and does record all card system activity. All academic buildings and residence halls are scheduled to be retrofitted with the campus-wide card access system. Presently, six residence halls are fitted with card access while one remains fitted with mechanical push-button combination locks. The combinations to the present mechanical locks are changed monthly including the beginning and end of each semester and holiday period. Access to residence halls is limited to official residents, their guests (during specified visitation periods), and authorized college employees. Periodically, due to maintenance and other concerns, off-campus persons will be authorized to perform specific tasks within the residence halls. Such authorization should be forwarded to the offices of Campus Safety and Student Affairs. Private business solicitation is not allowed on Millsaps premises (including residence halls, academic buildings, etc.). Fast food delivery after gate closing hours is allowed only after gate sign-in of each driver/delivery person, their vehicle description recorded, presentation of appropriate identification, and listing of the destination/customer requesting the service. Food and other delivery persons are limited to residential lobbies only.

Access to residential facilities by regular vendors and contractors (soft-drink, snack machine, air filter replacement) is allowed during stated daylight hours by the use of limited access coding on special vendor cards.

Maintenance and Security of Campus Facilities

Formal surveys of campus exterior lighting are conducted periodically by both security and maintenance personnel. Officers' shift activity reports contain sections for the reporting of failed or damaged lighting, locks, etc. Any deficiencies are reported to maintenance through the campus computer system. Any security related equipment deficiencies are given a high priority by maintenance supervisors.

Major lighting upgrades have provided the Millsaps community with well lighted parking lots, pedestrian walkways, and building exteriors. Campus building exterior doors are locked, secured and checked each evening by security personnel. Reader equipped residence halls have door-ajar alarms that are monitored by a computer in Security dispatch. Shrubbery, trees and other campus vegetation is trimmed on a regular basis.

Closed circuit television cameras for gates and most parking areas are monitored on a 24-hour basis by the officers working in the dispatch center. Most cameras are recorded continuously so as to enhance the apprehension and prosecution of any person who attempts to contravene the safety of the Millsaps community.

Campus Safety Authority and Interagency Relationships

Millsaps College is a private, rather than a public institution. As such, under Mississippi law, campus safety officers cannot be sworn law enforcement officers as would be the case at a state funded institution. However, campus safety officers undergo intense training on campus and also train at the Jackson Police weapons training facilities. That training is taught both by Millsaps training officers and by Jackson Police training instructors.

Periodic retraining and qualification is completed biannually. Officer basic training includes two weeks classroom, one week firing range, and four weeks on-the-job experience with a senior officer. Millsaps campus safety officers are well trained, uniformed, armed and supervised. This fact is well recognized by the members of the Jackson Police Department. Local patrol officers have developed a professional and personal rapport with many campus security officers, and most (knowing of the accomplishments of the Millsaps Campus Safety Department) look on the security officers as peers.

Security Awareness and Crime Prevention Programs

Crime prevention is the top priority for the Millsaps Campus Safety Department. The college not only depends on its numerous and high-tech physical security measures, but also attempts to educate the campus population in how to avoid becoming victims by taking personal measures to reduce criminal opportunity. The following educational efforts do in fact produce results:

• Freshman orientation (conducted by both the Campus Safety Department and by student affairs/housing personnel), additionally new faculty orientation is conducted by the Safety Director wherein security procedures are introduced and encouraged,
• Rape awareness/prevention/self-defense seminars presented in several venues each year (featuring both on-campus and off-campus speakers), the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) course is taught three times per year (twelve contact hours per course) by a male and female faculty team, both holding black belt martial arts degrees,
• Loaner crime and rape prevention videos for any campus group,
• Residence Life Staff training,
• Weekly publication (in the student newspaper) of pertinent campus crime and incident information,
• Student Patrol and escort service,
• Standardized uniforms and identification of all maintenance, housekeeping, grounds-keeping and other service personnel who work on campus,
• Direct liaison (through Student Affairs) with the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, and the officers of the Student Body Association gives the advantage of preventing many problems before they occur,
• Student Body Association (SBA) Security Committee provides student input and information to the Office of Campus Safety as well as provide students the opportunity to participate in an appeals process for traffic violations,
• The Director of the Campus Safety Department is allowed input to the design (and remodeling) of campus facilities, to positively impact the crime related physical and social environment of the building projects.

Special Notices: In case of a serious crime or breach of campus safety, special notices are placed in student, faculty, and staff campus mail boxes. Additionally, the same notice is broadcast over the campus-wide computer system, with e-mails to every member of the Millsaps community, containing a timely warning of any serious crimes against persons on campus or in nearby areas. Descriptions of suspects, crime location, and preventive measures are presented.

Millsaps College Drug and Alcohol Policies and Programs

College Policy Requirements Concerning the Use of Alcohol:

• Members of the Millsaps College community are subject to federal, state and local alcoholic beverage laws which prohibit the possession, use or distribution of alcoholic beverages by persons under the age of 21. Millsaps College considers students to be adults who are personally responsible for conforming their behavior to such laws and to the College's alcohol policy and guidelines,
• Millsaps College gives persons over 21 years of age and older the choice to possess and consume alcoholic beverages on campus subject to the law and these guidelines. The College respects students' privacy and autonomy and expects that students will behave responsibly complying with the law and the College's alcohol policy,
• No alcoholic beverages shall be sold on the Millsaps College campus unless a third party vendor is used. No "pub" or similar facility which dispenses alcohol on a regular schedule will be permitted,
• Alcoholic beverages shall not be possessed or consumed in any classroom, laboratory, office or athletic event. The possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages, for those who choose to consume, shall be permitted in the following areas:
  • Private rooms of students of legal drinking age residing in College residential facilities, this includes fraternity house residential rooms.
  • Those approved common chapter areas of Greek residences under the applicable guidelines established by the College.
  • Those areas of the campus that are designed for registered events approved by the appropriate administrative office (e.g. students would consult the Student Affairs office). Alcohol will only be allowed in designated outside areas during approved events.
• When the College learns of violations of law or policy on the campus, specified sanctions will be imposed and recurring violations will be treated with appropriate seriousness.

The use, possession or distribution of intoxicants, narcotics or dangerous drugs, such as marijuana and LSD are not permitted.

The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of illicit drugs or alcohol by students or employees is prohibited at all times on any Millsaps College property or at a College activity.

When there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the student has violated or is violating either the law or the rules of the College, the student shall be held accountable for such conduct and will be advised of his/her rights within the college judicial system.

In the case of suppliers of drugs, civil authorities shall be notified.

The College will impose sanctions consistent with local, State and Federal law upon all employees and students who violate these standards of conduct.

The Associate Dean for Student Development conducts several alcohol and drug education seminars per year, utilizing outside expert resources. Additionally, every freshman orientation includes mandatory attendance of educational skits that are designed to raise awareness concerning potential adverse consequences resulting from the use of alcohol or drugs.

Implementation of Colleges' Drug Prevention Program

The Office of Student Affairs holds the responsibility to:

• establish procedures and develop informational materials for annual distribution to students and employees,
• provide recommendations to promote and further develop the College's drug prevention program,
• evaluate the College's drug prevention program biennially to determine its effectiveness and ensure that disciplinary actions are consistently enforced.

Sexual Misconduct Resources

Sexual Misconduct Policy: Millsaps College is committed to the idea of honor and respect among all individuals. The College is a community of trust whose existence depends upon individual responsibility and respect for the integrity of others. Sexual misconduct is a serious violation of these principles. Millsaps will not tolerate any form of intimidation, coercion, or force. Millsaps College encourages all members of the College community to be aware of both the consequences of sexual misconduct and the options available to victims. Millsaps urges victims to seek assistance using any appropriate resources. Sexual misconduct is defined as sexual conduct without consent and includes but is not limited to intentional touching either of the victim or when the victim is forced to touch, directly or through clothing, another person's genitals, breasts, thighs, or buttocks; rape (sexual intercourse without consent, whether by an acquaintance or a stranger); attempted rape, sodomy (oral sex or anal intercourse) without consent; or sexual penetration with an object without consent . To constitute lack of consent, the acts must be committed either by force, intimidation, through use of the victims mental incapacity or physical helplessness, or over the objections of the victim. Verbal misconduct, without accompanying physical contact as described above, may constitute sexual harassment, which is also prohibited under College regulations and is specifically addressed in the Colleges Sexual Harassment Policy.

Victims of sexual misconduct have two actions available to them if they choose to pursue them--civil or criminal action. If the individual accused of the assault is a Millsaps student or employee, the victim may also pursue disciplinary action on campus against the accused. (This is true regardless of whether action is taken in court off campus.) Disciplinary action taken against a community member found guilty of sexual misconduct can range from probation to expulsion from the College. Additionally, the College may elect to suspend the accused during the investigation of the complaint.

If the victim wishes to file criminal charges against her/his assailant, Campus Safety will assist the victim in notifying the appropriate authorities.

Victims are encouraged to inform the College so that immediate action can be taken to protect them as well as others in the College community. College disciplinary proceedings do not follow the same rigid procedures as criminal cases, and discipline may be imposed upon a finding of clear and convincing evidence of violation of College rules.

Reports concerning sexual assault should be made without fear of self-incrimination concerning violations of visitation or alcohol policies. If a student has already been caught violating the visitation or alcohol policy and the violations are connected with a report of sexual misconduct, the visitation or alcohol violation remains a separate issue. If a student reports sexual misconduct and a violation of the visitation or alcohol policy was not already reported, the student does not self incriminate.

Any member of the Millsaps community who wishes the College to consider disciplinary action should contact one of the following informed College representatives: Wayne Miller, Director of Campus Safety; Todd Rose, Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs; Cindy Strine, Associate Dean for Student Development; and Jennifer Casey, Director of Residence Life.

The accuser as well as the accused will be notified by the committee of charges and asked to make a statement concerning the events. Each party, the accuser and the accused, may select her/his own advocate who is a member of the Sexual Misconduct Board but not a member of the investigative committee. The advocates can advise either party of the procedures, rights, and options available to them as part of this process. Members of the investigative committee will question both the accuser and the accused, individually and at length, about what happened.

All proceedings of the committee will be held in confidence, and the accuser as well as the accused may ask that the committee hear from someone (s)he believes possesses pertinent information concerning the case. The accuser and the accused are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present during a disciplinary proceeding. After the committee hears from all critical parties, the committee makes a recommendation to the President and he, in consultation with the committee, will render a decision as to whether or not an act of misconduct occurred and what, if any, disciplinary action is to be taken. Then the Dean of Students will contact the accuser and the accused to notify them of the decision as well as any disciplinary action.

After an alleged sexual assault, the students involved may request a change of either or both their academic and living situations if such changes are reasonably available.