Role of the Department of Public
Safety
The Department of Public Safety's primary role at St. John's
University is to act as a deterrent to crime. Many of the
Public Safety officers are former law enforcement officers. Their
arrest authority is equivalent to that of any other citizen. Public
Safety officers do have the right to detain an individual(s) until
the police arrive to make a formal arrest.
Who To Contact
(Important numbers)
St. John's Department of Public Safety maintains frequent contact
with the local police department (107th Precinct Queens; 120th
Precinct Staten Island, and the 1st Precinct in Manhattan). The
police come on campus at the request of Public Safety for the
purpose of making an arrest. The police regularly patrol the
perimeter of each campus.
St. John's Public Safety officers engage in routine motorized and
foot patrols on a 24-hour basis. The officers are stationed at
various posts throughout campus. Some of these posts include but
are not limited to the following places on the Queens campus: the
main gate, Carnesecca Arena, and in the Libraries. Public Safety
officers are also posted in the six Queens campus Residence Halls:
Century, Carey, DaSilva, Hollis, Donovan and John Cardinal O’Connor
Residence Hall. On the Staten Island campus, these posts include:
Flynn Hall, Mahoney Hall, Campus Center, Main Information Booth,
and rear parking lot. On the Manhattan Campus, a Public Safety
Officer is posted at the main desk.
Areas of poor lighting and of dense shrubbery are points of special
attention during patrols.
Timely Warnings
In the event that a situation arises, either on or off campus,
that, in the judgment of the Vice President of Public Safety
constitutes an ongoing or continuing threat, a campus wide Public
Safety Advisory will be issued. The warning will be issued
through the University's e-mail system to students, faculty, and
staff, and it will be posted on St. John's Central.
Depending on the particular circumstances of the crime,
especially in situations that could pose an immediate threat to the
community and individuals, the Office of Public Safety may also
issue an emergency text and voice message alert through the
University Emergency Notification System and or utilize the public
address system on campus to alert our community.
Emergency Phone Service
There are clearly marked emergency phones located throughout the
campuses. They can summon the Department of Public Safety, which
will respond immediately. The phones are for emergency use only,
which can be, but is not limited to: car trouble for which Public
Safety can be of assistance; injury, especially when an ambulance
is required; crime prevention, whether a crime is in progress or
the potential for the criminal act is suspected; and need for the
escort service.
The Department of Public Safety is also glad to help if you have
locked your car keys in your car or need a jump start.
Escort Service
If, at any time, you are uncomfortable going from one campus point
to another, or to your car, Public Safety provides an escort
service for both the Queens and Staten Island campuses to assist
you. Public Safety honors any request for this service, supplying
an officer to escort the individual to the desired location whether
a building, a parking lot on the St. John's University campus, or,
if needed, to a car off campus, if the car is in the immediate
vicinity. This service is offered around the clock.
Late Night Van Service for Off-campus
Residences
For the 2009-2010 academic year, the Department of Public Safety
will offer van service for St. John's off-campus residences near
the University's Queens campus seven days a week, from 11 p.m. -
3:30 a.m. Van service will begin on the evening of August 30,
2009.
The van will serve ONLY the route from Gate #6 at the Queens campus
to St. John’s off-campus residences in Queens, NY. The van departs
Gate #6, stops at the Goethals Avenue apartments, Seton Complex,
DePaul Houses, Coolidge apartments and Henley Road and then returns
to Gate #6. The van will complete this route at least twice per
hour.
Confidential Tip Line
The Department of Public Safety has established an automated
24-hour confidential tip line. This tip line will enable anyone in
the university community to report information to Public Safety
anonymously while being recorded on an answering machine.
The tip-line number is (718) RED-SAFE
[(718) 733-7233]
Be assured that no attempt will be made by
Public Safety to identify callers; should a caller wish to be
contacted by Public Safety, he or she can simply leave contact
information.
Your safety and well being are our highest
priorities. The Department of Public Safety reminds everyone that
they continue to be available 24 hours a day; seven days a week for
anyone who wishes to report an emergency or request assistance from
an officer.
Building Access
For each campus, as the utilization of a building
diminishes during the day or evening, Public Safety locks the
building. These buildings are patrolled throughout the night on a
random basis to ensure the safety and security of the campus. The
same procedure is repeated during the weekend hours. On the Staten
Island campus, Public Safety locks many of the classrooms after the
last class of the day.
Exterior door access to a locked building is granted only on a
limited basis of proven need. Public Safety is prepared to escort
anyone to and from a building during non-working hours. Anyone
entering or leaving a building during non-working hours is required
to notify the Department of Public Safety.
Students, faculty and staff are required to show a valid St. John's
ID in order to gain entrance to the computer facilities, the
University Center, Carnesecca Arena, the Libraries, Residence Halls
and St. Albert Hall (after 11 p.m.) on the Queens campus and the
Gym, the Campus Center and the Library on the Staten Island campus.
Public Safety personnel are stationed at the entrance points to
check all persons entering the above mentioned buildings.
If an individual, regardless of status, does not have a valid
StormCard, he/she should report to the Department of Public Safety
(6257 or 6281), ROTC Mc Donald Center for Queens; the Campus Center
B11, ext. 4443 on Staten Island or Room 627, ext. 9301 in Manhattan
to obtain their card after showing proper personal
identification.
Emergency Medical Situations
For emergency medical situations call 911. In
non-emergency medical situations during Health Service office
hours, any individual involved in an emergency situation requiring
medical assistance should notify the Health Office directly (Queens
ext. 6360; Staten Island ext. 4447), or notify Public Safety
(Queens ext. 5252; Staten Island ext 4487), supplying as much
information as possible about the situation. The Health Service
Office is located in DaSilva Hall First Floor, room 129 (Queens
campus) and Campus Center, room B-19 (Staten Island).
Health Service Office Hours
Queens Campus
Mondays - Thursdays: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Staten Island Campus
Mondays - Thursdays: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Acting Responsibly
St. John's campus grounds, buildings and parking lots are
well lit and frequently patrolled, but you should still use
precaution to ensure your own security and that of your personal
property. Keep these common-sense tips in mind:
- Familiarize yourself with the campus so you can walk
confidently and purposefully to your destination.
- Don't carry valuables with you, but do keep a whistle handy in
case you ever need to attract attention.
- Be aware of your surroundings as you return to your car, or the
bus stop or your Residence Hall, and don't hesitate to call Public
Safety for an escort.
- Never leave your pocketbook unattended, even for a moment (for
example, while in the restroom, the library, or the
cafeteria).
- Never leave your bicycle unlocked outside or inside a building;
record its serial number and keep it in your permanent
records.
- Always lock your parked car, keep all personal belongings in
the trunk, and be sure your car keys are on a different ring from
your home keys. While anti-theft equipment is not infallible, one
or more will foil most amateurs and delay or deter most
professionals.
Always report suspicious activities, threatening incidents, or
unusual behavior to Public Safety. Even if nothing has actually
occurred, Public Safety would prefer to know if there is a
potential for concern.
Reporting a Criminal Act
Any violation of campus regulations or a criminal act should be
reported immediately either in person or via the phone to the
appropriate authority, either the Department of Public Safety or
the Dean of Students of the respective campus. Phone numbers and
office locations of each Dean of Students and Public Safety office
are listed on the who to
contact page.The Public Safety
Office on each campus is open 24 hours a day, seven days a
week.
If a crime is reported by an individual while on campus, Public
Safety will dispatch an officer to the scene of the crime for a
preliminary report of the date, time and incident. If a student is
involved, the preliminary report will be referred immediately to
the Dean of Students for investigation. When appropriate,
individuals are strongly encouraged to report complaints to the
local police precinct. A priest who has a crime disclosed during
the sacrament of confession may not reveal anything that has been
disclosed in the sacrament. The priest, however, will encourage and
work with the penitent to find appropriate support services both on
and off campus. Pastoral counselors or priests who have a crime
disclosed to them outside of the sacrament of confession are
required to report the crime in accordance with this policy. Every
member of the faculty, administration and staff of St. John’s
University, acting in his or her capacity as an employee of the
University, is obligated to immediately report any incident of
sexual assault, rape or other forcible sexual offense against any
member of the University community upon learning of the incident.
Even when the individual requests confidentiality of the incident,
the employee has a responsibility to report it.
Additional Safety Information at St.
John's