On Tues. Oct. 1, Vice President of Student Life, Dr. John King released the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report to students via email.
The report included statistics related to crime, fire safety, security and campus safety. The campus is divided into regions between the Bristol Campus which includes the main campus, the School of Law, Almeida Apartments, and Baypoint Residence Hall, and the Providence Campus.
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has a total of 24 total employees, 19 of which are full time officers, with nine of those officers also being EMTs. There is also one Director, and three Shift Commanders on the Public Safety staff.
According to the Security and Fire Safety Report, DPS officers also receive training from the Rhode Island College and University Public Safety Academy as well as in-service training to maintain RWU’s safety.
The Report also outlined important safety and security procedures should a crime occur on campus including how to report a crime or emergency, campus security authorities, timely warning policies, and emergency response and evacuation procedures. Also included are “Special Considerations for the Providence Campus and Facilities in Other Municipalities.”
RWU and DPS also have university wide educational and training programs as resources to help to maintain a safe campus environment. For example, throughout a first year’s orientation process, they will receive training by Public Safety, Health Services, the Title IX department, Environmental Health and Safety, Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, and alcohol and other drug education. Additionally, faculty and other employees also receive information regarding campus safety held monthly at new employee orientation.
RWU also stated the university’s Alcohol and Drug Policy within the Security and Fire Safety Report which included the Medical Amnesty Policy which grants amnesty to students who need to pursue medical attention because of a medical emergency due to consumption of alcohol or drugs. Also, stated in the Alcohol and Drug policy are the policy on the Alcohol quantity which outlined how much alcohol a student 21 years old or older is allowed to possess on campus; the university’s statement on marijuana which remains illegal under federal law and that possession on RWU property is prohibited even though the state of Rhode Island legalized its use.
The Security and Fire Safety Report also defines crime statistics and policies going in depth on what each type of crime means and elements of the crime.
The Fire Safety statistics included in the report have data from 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2023, there were no fires in any residential building and zero dollars in property damage due to fire on the Bristol campus.
Additionally, there are fire safety systems in all of the residence halls on the Bristol Campus which include fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers.
The rest of the report also includes resources on Title IX procedures, the RWU Missing Student Policy, Policies and Procedures related to domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as other safety resources available to students.
The full RWU Security and Fire Safety Report can be found at https://www.rwu.edu/who-we-are/administrative-offices/public-safety/clery-reports/annual-security-and-fire-safety-report
