Play It Safe During Safety Awareness Month, Year-round

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 13, 2012) ― While campus safety remains the highest priority for University of Kentucky Police Department (UKPD) year-round, the month of September is devoted to National Campus Safety Awareness Month, and with it comes the opportunity to educate students, parents, faculty and staff on overall safety, disaster preparedness, and crime prevention. 

In partnership with the University of Kentucky Fire Marshal’s Office and Campus Fire Safety Month, the University Police Department is emphasizing the following community programs available to make everyone more aware of ways to stay safe while on campus.

•           UK Alert is an emergency notification system designed for use only when an incident disrupts normal campus operations or threatens the immediate health and safety of the campus community.  All UK students, staff and faculty are registered in UK Alert with their official university email address.  Of those registered, 49 percent have provided other contact information such as cell phone numbers to their accounts.  UK students, staff and faculty may access their accounts via the myUK portal.  Parents, media, visitors, and other interested parties may register for UK Alert on a voluntary self-subscription basis by clicking here.

•           UKPD’s Citizen Police Academy is a free series of eight weekly classes beginning on Sept. 18 and running through Nov. 13.  Each class will meet from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays in Room 249 of the UK Student Center.  The academy is open to anyone inside or outside the university who is 18 years or older with no prior felony convictions and who is interested in understanding law enforcement and university policing.  Registration is now open and enrollment is based on a first-come-first-served basis by clicking here.

•           Self Defense Tactics and Risk Reduction (S.T.A.R.R.) is a course designed for women over the age of 13. The program includes discussion on ways to reduce your risk of being targeted and general safety tips and active learning to empower women with the knowledge of how to defend against larger and often stronger attackers.  Punching, kicking and ground defense techniques are all taught in a non-threatening atmosphere by instructors who have been trained and certified.  The class will be offered four times during the 2012-2013 winter in the basement of Blazer Hall and is open to the public.  Click here to sign up.   If you have any questions about the S.T.A.R.R. program, contact UKPD’s Cpl. Randall Webb at rwe222@uky.edu or by calling (859) 257-5770, ext. 470 and leaving a message.

•           The UK 2011 Annual Campus Safety and Security Report is available for viewing and/or printing at http://www.uky.edu/EM/annual-security-report.html.  This report includes the latest statistics for 2011, as well as statistics from 2009 and 2010 concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings owned or controlled by UK; and on public property immediately adjacent to campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning sexual assault and other matters.  If you would like a printed version of the report or if you have any questions, please contact the UKPD’s Division of Crisis Management and Preparedness at (859) 257-9567 or cmp@uky.edu.

•           UKPD offers Active Shooter Classes with specialized instructors that prepare students, faculty and staff to have a survival mindset for an active shooter incident.  They further train the community on how law enforcement will respond to an active shooting situation and what pre-incident behaviors are of concern. Officer Alan Saylor of UKPD’s Community Affairs Office says, “In the last three years since our office has offered these trainings, we’ve found that an active shooting incident occurs every 14 days somewhere in the world.”  If you and your department or group would like to schedule a short presentation, you may contact Officer Alan Saylor at alan.saylor@uky.edu or (859) 257-5108.

•           UKPD’s Adopt-A-Cop Program provides a UKPD Officer that is assigned to each UK residence hall to serve as an advisor and liaison with its staff and residents.  This officer develops a relationship with their particular residence hall community and offers a familiar face in which to associate.  For more information, contact UKPD Crime Prevention Officer Robert Pearl in the Community Affairs Office at rdpear2@email.uky.edu or (859) 323-7447.

•           UKPD’s Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Specialist is actively involved in the Annual Campus Safety Walk organized by UK Student Government Association every spring semester. CPTED offers valuable recommendations on safer building designs while reducing crime using three concepts:  1. Natural Surveillance 2. Access Control & 3.Terrain Control.  Representatives from across campus are invited to participate in the Annual Campus Safety Walk.  If you are interested in having your area evaluated for improved security enhancement contact UKPD’s CPTED and Crime Prevention Specialist Officer Alan Saylor at alan.saylor@uky.edu (859) 257-5108.

•           Safe and Free Escort for Campus Area Traveling Students (SAFECATS) is a safety escort service available to UK Students and their guests Sunday – Thursday from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. during the fall and spring semesters except during official University holidays and breaks. UKPD contracts with the Flying Wildcats Booster Club, a student organization comprised of Air Force and Army ROTC cadets, to operate SAFECATS using golf carts provided by the Student Government Association. These safety escorts are trained annually by UKPD, carry a police issued radio giving them direct contact with the UKPD Dispatch, and undergo a preliminary criminal background check before they are permitted to serve as a safety escort.  For added safety, any student requesting an escort is encouraged to ask to see the escort’s SAFECATS identification before being escorted.  Call (859) 257-SAFE (7233).

•           Cats Cruiser is another UK Student Government service in partnership with Lextran that offers late night transportation service consisting of four fixed bus routes that circulate approximately every 20-30 minutes.  Students are eligible to utilize this service for free by presenting a valid UK student ID. Non-students can also take advantage of this service for $1 per ride. This service runs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 10pm – 3am. You may download and print the route map by clicking here. 

•           The Campus Area Transit System (CATS) offers eight campus bus and shuttle routes including an on-demand service Sunday – Friday with hours that vary by day and is limited to UK’s campus.  Call (859) 221-RIDE for pick-up.  You may also track CATS buses in real time using TransLoc while remaining in a safe location until the bus arrives.  Visit UK’s Parking & Transportation Services for information on campus bus and shuttle routes here.

University of Kentucky Police Department also offers ways in which to stay informed via social media. 

•           “Like” the University of Kentucky Police Department Facebook Page

•           Follow @UKPolice and @UKPDChief on Twitter