Safety and Security Services

The Department of Safety and Security is responsible for the overall safety and security of students, faculty, staff and visitors to the Mars Hill University campus. The department is also responsible for crisis response, crisis management and emergency planning at Mars Hill University. It tailors safety and security services to meet the unique needs of the Mars Hill University community. The primary role of the department is prevention based on a high level understanding of vulnerability and risk. The department also serves as a conduit to campus judicial authorities as well as area Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and Emergency Management agencies and can facilitate timely deployment of any of these services or resources as required. Finally, the department is trained to preserve evidence and document potential violations of campus judicial policies as well as local, state or federal law and will refer any information or evidence developed to the appropriate investigating enforcement agency as required.

Campus safety and security services include, but are not limited to, the following:

Residence Hall and Campus Building Security: Campus Security officers patrol the campus to assure a high level of physical security. They lock and unlock administrative and classroom buildings on schedule and as required. As a regular part of their patrol duties, they also look for any safety problems such as defective lighting, inoperative doors or locks, and any other conditions which might pose a risk. Security is a responsibility of everyone and you can take an active role by reporting all security-related conditions to Campus Security by calling 828-689-1230 or by notifying the Facilities Department at 828- 689-1246 for any issues requiring their expertise. Residence halls are protected by access card locks and keys that allow only authorized individuals to enter buildings, offices and rooms. Do not loan or give your key or ID card to another student or guest. Report all lost or misplaced keys and ID cards immediately. It is very important to the security of all residents to make sure doors are never propped open. It is the responsibility of each resident to follow this guideline and close doors that have been propped open. It can be dangerous to provide access to the building to unauthorized individuals.

Crime Prevention: While Mars Hill University enjoys a relatively low crime rate, crimes do occur on campus. Crimes on campus are thoroughly documented and referred to the appropriate investigating agencies. Crime on campus is documented in the annual Clery (Security) Report. Daily crime logs are available for review upon request. While violent crime, such as violent assaults and sexual violence are rare, drug and alcohol violations and property crimes occur more frequently. The most commonly occurring crime on campus is petty theft. Students are encouraged to report any crime to campus security immediately.

Fire Safety and Fire Prevention

Maintaining a Alcohol and Drug-Free Campus: Mars Hill University is committed to maintaining a alcohol free and drug free campus. Violations of rules pertaining to drugs and alcohol can be anonymously reported thru the link appearing in the contact information above. The Department of Safety and security will conduct logical investigation into allegations of violations of campus alcohol and drug rules and will refer their findings to appropriate campus and off-campus officials including the campus judicial board and area law enforcement agencies.

Emergency Assistance and Emergency Response Planning: The Department of Safety and Security is responsible for facilitating and providing assistance in any emergency response required on campus. The department also develops all hazard emergency plans, conducts emergency planning and exercises emergency contingency plans through periodic table-top exercises and full scale exercises in order to mitigate the impact of any potential event.

Enforcing Campus Rules and Regulations: The Department of Safety and Security has a role in the enforcement of campus rules, regulations and policies. They work closely with other stakeholders, including residential life, to identify and document violations and refer potential violations to applicable authorities for further adjudication.

Conducting Safety and Security Related Programming for Students, Faculty and Staff: Campus Security can serve as a resource for the student population and has developed a series of courses relating to safety and security issues for presentation to students, faculty and staff. These programs can be tailored to individual needs and are scalable. Examples of available programs include: Bystander training, Crime and theft prevention, Avoiding sexual violence, Personal safety, Fire safety, Drug and alcohol abuse issues, self defense, etc. Groups eligible to receive these programs can include virtually any member of the MHU community and examples include residence halls, Greek organizations, athletic teams, and other student organizations, faculty committees and staff sections..

Referring Potential Violations of Local, State and Federal Laws and Code Violations to Appropriate Investigating Agencies:The MHU Department of Safety and Security is charged with detecting, deterring, observing and reporting potential violations of local, state, federal law and code violations in order to help create a safer environment at Mars Hill University. The role includes thoroughly documenting potential violations and campus security staff members are trained in the preservation and collection of evidence and in investigative and incident report writing. The Department of Safety and Security is not a law enforcement agency and can only enforce university rules and regulations. All other potential violations of law and code are referred with documentation to the appropriate investigating law enforcement or code enforcement agency.