Campus Security  

Policies and Procedures

Houghton College has an active prevention of crimes/campus security program.  College employees are informed about security- related issues via the employee handbooks, their office supervisors, staff meetings, and Scoop articles.  Residence hall staff attend monthly training, in which there is emphasis on security and the need to take precautions to ensure personal safety, the safety of others, and to prevent loss.  How and when to contact security is also emphasized.  This information is then disseminated among the student body, through residence hall meetings, the student handbook, voluntary seminars, posters and advertisements.  It is also incorporated into the mandatory program for first year students.

Links to Information:

Policy for Reporting Criminal Actions or Other Emergencies

Campus Law Enforcement

Security and Access to Campus Facilities

Possession, Use, and Sale of Alcoholic Beverages and Illegal Drugs

Weapons policy

Monitoring and Reporting Off-Campus Student Criminal Activity

Crime Statistics

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Policy for Reporting Criminal Actions or Other Emergencies

Each student and employee of Houghton College is expected to promptly report any criminal actions or other emergencies to the appropriate authorities.  The Campus Safety and Security Office, Houghton Volunteer Fire Department and Houghton College Maintenance Department, as appropriate, will take immediate action to respond.

Residence hall directors or assistants act as the point of contact for all emergencies occurring within their residence hall.

Appropriate authorities will act immediately on any report of criminal action or other emergencies; will investigate, categorize, and report on each instance; and will involve outside police agencies as appropriate.

Campus Law Enforcement

The Safety and Security personnel of Houghton College are uniformed officers, employed by the college to protect Houghton College personnel and property.  These officers have the authority to require identification, issue parking citations, and sign complaints with local and state police on behalf of Houghton College.

Security and Access to Campus Facilities

Houghton College is a private institution.  During scheduled hours, its facilities are available for all current students, employees, and family members of employees.  Guests accompanied by a current student or employee and those who have membership for specific areas, such as the physical education center and library, are also permitted use of college facilities during scheduled hours.

Residence halls are secured after hours.  Safety/Security deficiencies are immediately acted upon by maintenance personnel 24 hours per day.

Students are responsible for keeping their rooms locked when unoccupied and for keeping personal valuables and college equipment and furnishings secure at all times.  They are also expected to keep all exterior doors and windows to residence halls secured during all non-open access hours and to report anything out of the ordinary to Safety and Security.

Safety and Security personnel perform routine security checks of college facilities.  They also investigate and act as a catalyst to rectify security deficiencies.

Unless immediate danger exists, intruders and security risks in residence halls should be reported to the RD/RDA, who will report to the Safety and Security Office.  Immediate threats should be reported directly to Safety and Security at ext. 3330, then to the RD/RDA.

Possession, Use, and Sale of Alcoholic Beverages and Illegal Drugs

For more than a century Houghton College (and its predecessor, Houghton Wesleyan Seminary) has subscribed to a policy of abstinence regarding the use of alcohol and illicit drugs.  The possession, use, and/or sale of alcoholic beverages and /or illegal drugs is strictly forbidden at Houghton College for all students and college employees.  Students and employees of Houghton College agree to a statement of community expectations, committing themselves to abide by these and other standards of Christian conduct.  Violation of this policy could subject the individual to immediate dismissal from school or employment, as applicable.

Students and employees of Houghton College will neither participate in nor tolerate the possession, use or sale of illegal drugs or alcoholic beverages.

Alleged instances of possession, use, and/or sale of alcoholic beverages and/or illegal drugs should be reported to the Safety and Security Office.

There are significant health risks associated with the use of illegal drugs and the abuse of alcohol.  Additional information on health risks is available in the Health Center.  Houghton College will provide access to counseling services and to treatment for those college students and employees who seek help in their problems with alcohol and/or drugs and who desire to live a life of sobriety and abstinence.  Services and treatment will be at the individual's expense.  The contents of this section are included in accordance with the Drug Free School and Communities Act of 1990.

Weapons policy

Pursuant to New York State Penal Law, §265.06  “It shall be unlawful for any person….to knowingly possess any….weapon….in or upon a building or grounds, used for educational purposes, of any school, college or university, without the written authorization of such educational institution.”

Therefore, it is necessary for all persons to bring any weapon to the Safety and Security office to register it and for safekeeping. It is also necessary to register any ammunition that may accompany the weapon.

Weapons are defined as, but are not limited to the following:

Weapon Registration:

1. The owner must fill out the Weapon Registration form with a full description of the weapon, serial number, and any ammunition that accompanies the weapon, as soon as the weapon arrives on Houghton College property.

2. The owner will be issued an “Authorization to Possess Weapon” card, which must be kept on their person whenever the weapon is carried.

3. A tag will be placed on the weapon to identify it.

After a weapon is registered and tagged, the officer will immediately put it into the weapons locker

Weapon Sign Out: No weapon is to leave the Safety and Security office except by following this procedure:

1. Anytime a weapon owner desires to remove the weapon from the Safety and Security office, they must sign out the weapon using the Weapons Registration form.

2. The owner must present the Authorization Card for that weapon.

3. The attending officer will check to make sure the owner has the correct weapon, record the date and time the weapon was taken, initial the sign out and have the owner initial the sign out also.

4. The identification tag will be removed and kept in the Safety and Security office until the weapon is signed in.

5. It is the responsibility of the attending officer to confirm that the owner will be taking the weapon directly off Houghton College property and not to any other location on campus.

6. It is the responsibility of the owner to find a suitable and legal place to hunt. Hunting on Houghton College property is prohibited, except with bow, during the first two (2) weeks of archery season for deer, and with the appropriate College issued permit.

Weapons Sign in:

1. When the weapon is returned, the attending officer will confirm that the weapon returned is the same as the one signed out.

2. The attending officer will record the date and time the weapon and any ammunition and/or accessories was returned, initial the sign in and have the owner initial the sign in as well.

3. The attending officer will replace the identification tag on the weapon and return it to the weapons locker.

Ammunition and accessories:

All ammunition and some related accessories are required to be registered with the corresponding weapon. Any items registered with a weapon will be marked for identification for the protection of the owner. Sign in and sign out requirements are the same as for weapons.

Monitoring and Reporting Off-Campus Student Criminal Activity

Off-campus housing owned by Houghton College is treated the same as residence halls (residence coordinators are assigned).  Other off-campus housing is owned by community individuals.  These houses will comply with the same standards as residence halls.  Crimes occurring in these houses are reported by the householders to local police authorities and to the Student Development Office.

Crime Statistics

The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act requires that all colleges compile information regarding certain crimes on campus.  This act also requires this information to be provided to all students, employees, and,  upon request, to all who have applied for admission.

Houghton College reports crime statistics to the federal registry annually.  The caliber of students at Houghton College is reflected by the absence of violent crimes such as rape and assault.  Even minor crimes such as petty theft are very uncommon.  For the complete report, please contact Safety and Security or go to the national campus crime registry online at:

Campus Security Statistics Report  

From this site, you can also compare statistics with other colleges nationwide.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Security:
Extension 3330 or 567-9333

Fire Department/Ambulance:
911

Maintenance:
Extension 4800 or 567-9480