Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety (or Pub-Safety for short) is an off-campus department charged with the responsibility of policing the Hampshire campus for illegal acts, as well as responding to medical emergencies. It maintains a good relationship with the Amherst Police Department and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. The Amherst Police Department provides assistance to the department on various matters and is the lead agency for investigating all reported sexual offenses on campus. Formally run in-house, it is now a service provided to Hampshire by Mount Holyoke.

Location
The Department of Public Safety college switchboard is located on the ground floor of the Harold F. Johnson Library and can be accessed via the loading dock on the north side of Johnson Library. The office is open 24 hours a day occaisionally: times a permanent official is actually there are reduced, due to the switch to Mount Holyoke control of the department.

The Switchboard
In addition to handling the college’s telephone system, the switchboard serves as the dispatch center for the Department of Public Safety. It monitors all alarm systems on campus and dispatches the department’s officers. The campus emergency telephone number, extension 5555, can be accessed by all campus phones and is answered immediately. The switchboard also has a dedicated line to the town of Amherst’s dispatch center. This line is utilized to reach the town’s Police Department, Fire Department, or ambulance. This may not be true anymore.

Police Officers (Duties Assoc. With)
Public Safety Officers patrol the campus, respond to requests for service, investigate crimes and infractions of college policy, and maintain public order. They are special state police officers under Massachusetts state law, with the power to make arrests for crimes committed on and around the college property.

Employment
The Department of Public Safety employs students to work as public safety assistants during the school year. These students assist in patrolling the campus, checking buildings, monitor student events and providing escort service.

Reporting Crimes
The Department of Public Safety can be notified immediately whenever there is a crime or other emergency occurring on campus by calling either 911 or the campus emergency line, extension 5555. Making a report in person at the Department of Public Safety is also an option.

When a report is made to the Department of Public Safety, the incident is investigated and appropriate actions are taken including, when appropriate, a report to the Amherst Police Department. If there is a likelihood that other members of the community are at risk, the Department of Public Safety will issue a campus safety alert. Campus safety alerts can take one or more of the following forms: memorandums via campus mail, posters placed around campus, or e-mail.

In some cases, victims of crime may choose to talk first with a member of the Counselor Advocates, the house staff, the dean’s office, their advisor, or another employee with whom s/he has a prior relationship. While this is understandable, it is important to quickly report incidents to the Department of Public Safety so they can be investigated. In terms of campus crime statistics that the college must maintain to comply with the Clery Act, crimes reported to Public Safety, the Student Services deans, and professional house staff will automatically be included in the crime statistics. If an individual wants a crime to be reported for statistical purposes only, this can be done through the Student Services Office.

Contact Information
For emergencies, Dial ext. 5555 For non-emergencies, Dial ext. 5424

Other Legal Stuff
The Online Constitution of the United States of America (Cornell Univ.) Massachusetts General Law