T O P I C S. Police Dispatch (703) Call Us 24/7/365. Meet the NOVA Police Department. LiveSafe. Title IX Protections.

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1 T O P I C S P A G E 1 M A R C H Meet the NOVA Police Department LiveSafe Meet the NOVA Police Department Title IX Protections for the NOVA Community Statewide Tornado Drill Police Training Announcements S E L E C T E D P O L I C E S E R V I C E S Escorts to vehicles Motorist assists Crime prevention and response training Lost and found Child safety seat installation and assessment Police Dispatch (703) Call Us 24/7/365 One of the National Capital Region s best-kept law enforcement secrets is the high level of professionalism residing in the NOVA College Police Department. We may not be large, with only 52 sworn officers, 7 dispatchers and 6 certified security officers, but we are good. We train extensively, have nationally recognized subject matter experts in key public service areas, enjoy strong relationships with surrounding jurisdictions, and play an active role in training police officers from many local jurisdictions. You might be surprised to know the high level of training a recruit goes through to become a certified Virginia law enforcement officer. First, there is a five-month tour at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy. During a recruit s 850 hours at the academy, a number which provides more than a year of transferable college credit, he or she will study Virginia s criminal code, become proficient with firearms and emergency vehicle operations, defensive tactics, criminal investigation, crime scene management, and learn how to deal with everything from hazardous materials to domestic and sexual abuse, terrorism, and special needs individuals. Additionally, all NOVA officers are certified to provide first aid, CPR, and to use the Automatic External Defibrillator. Upon academy graduation, the recruit undergoes a formal field training program where he or she is accompanied for 2-4 months by an experienced and specially trained officer who evaluates the recruit s job performance. Only when the field evaluator assesses a recruit to be proficient can he or she become a fully certified Virginia law enforcement officer with all the rights and obligations of other Commonwealth law enforcement officers, such as conducting criminal investigations, enforcing traffic laws, and making arrests. Beyond our extensive entry-level training, the NOVA Police Department employs highly trained officers with diverse experience. Our Chief, Daniel Dusseau is in his 28 th year of law enforcement and won the prestigious 2014 Campus Safety magazine Chief of the Year award. We have another former Chief of Police, officers who have served on FBI task forces on terrorism, and a former magistrate. We have a New York City officer with 20 years of experience, a former English police officer, officers with military experience, former corrections officers and dispatchers, and officers who have served with the airport, metro, and various city and county police departments. Their skill and experience are consistently demonstrated when the Department conducts its annual active shooter training and at other venues when we train jointly with agencies such as Fairfax County and Alexandria City Police. NOVA police was the only college police department honored to provide security at President Obama s 2013 inauguration. Our officers are widely recognized as subject matter experts in many fields. We have a PhD who is a nationally recognized expert in the command and control of nuclear weapons. We have state-certified firearms, driving and defensive tactics instructors; as well as bicycle patrol, crime scene investigation, crime prevention, and gang specialists. One of our officers serves on the advisory board of the country s leading campus security magazine. We are racially and ethnically diverse and our officers speak more than 10 languages. We have officers who have graduated from schools on murder investigation, sexual assault, interview and interrogation, hostage negotiation, and crime scene investigation. Our officers regularly teach at area police academies which train officers from more than 30 local jurisdictions. NOVA can be proud of its police department. Our highly trained officers offer numerous services, such as escorts to vehicles, self-defense training for women, a monthly public safety newsletter, and the full range of police services. We take our mission to protect and serve seriously. If you would like to know more about us, give us a call at our college-wide, 24/7/365 dispatch number: , or check us out at our website:

2 P A G E 2 Title IX Protections for the NOVA Community Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C et seq. ( Title IX ) states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. As a recipient of federal and state funds, NOVA is required to comply with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities, admission and employment. The Department of Education and the Supreme Court have broadened the scope of Title IX beyond ensuring equal participation and funding for women in college and university athletic programs; Title IX now addresses sexual harassment and sexual violence in educational institutions. NOVA s Title IX Policy governs all issues of sexual misconduct and can be found at: student/_docs/title-ix-policy-2015.pdf. This Policy prohibits discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and retaliation. The Title IX Policy also sets out reporting procedures, how matters are assessed (investigated), and resolved. The Title IX Policy applies to all campus community members, including students, faculty, staff and third parties, such as contractors and visitors. The Title IX process is an administrative process, not a criminal justice process. NOVA s Title IX Policy is not intended to substitute or supersede any criminal or civil law options that a complainant may have. Sexual harassment and other conduct that create a hostile environment on campus may also be conduct that creates safety concerns. If you see something or hear something then say something. Working together, the NOVA community can create a safe campus climate. For more information on Title IX or if you wish to make a report, please contact: Therman Coles, Title IX Coordinator, phone: , tcoles@nvcc.edu or Cleopatra Magwaro, Title IX Deputy Coordinator, phone: , cmagwaro@nvcc.edu. You may also request assistance from any NOVA police officer, NOVA Sexual Assault Services, or NOVA Dispatch LiveSafe Keeps You Safe and Now Gives You the Chance to Win Money! NOVA students, faculty and staff, along with their respective families and friends are allowed to enroll in a revolutionary mobile safety app that has improved campus safety, police response, the deterrence of criminal activity, and the prosecution of crimes. The free LiveSafe app improves communication between students, faculty, and campus police, and also facilitates emergency response in critical situations. LiveSafe allows students, faculty, staff, or parents to report tips anonymously to college police, ask questions to the police, and offer security suggestions. LiveSafe also lets friends or family monitor your location and virtually accompany you so you never have to walk alone. The app includes puts potential life-saving information at your fingertips. Downloading LiveSafe is fast and easy: just go to the itunes or Google Play store, download LiveSafe, select NOVA as your school, and, if you choose, fill in your profile. Now, LiveSafe is giving you a chance to make $2,500 and win other goodies! All you have to do is create a short video that demonstrates the use and value of LiveSafe at NOVA. All the particulars are described on the next page of this newsletter. If you need inspiration, check out #CoplineBling, videos/ /, made by the University of Delaware Police Department.

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4 P A G E 4 The Statewide Tornado Drill March 22, 2016 Be Prepared to Act FAST WHEN: Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 9:45am WHO: Everyone Faculty, Staff, and Students WHY: The annual Statewide Tornado Drill is an opportunity to practice tornado safety by going to Severe Weather Shelter areas found throughout NOVA facilities. This drill encourages the NOVA Community to review emergency procedures and ensure everyone is ready to act FAST if a Tornado Warning is issued. Procedures Terminology If the area is under a Tornado WARNING, seek shelter immediately! Direct students and visitors. Go IMMEDIATELY to: The nearest Severe Weather Shelter Area OR An appropriate area capable of providing protection from the event: Hardened structure Interior hallway or room free of windows or other glass structures At the lowest level possible in the building use stairs, do NOT use elevators Use your arms to protect your head and neck. Protect your body from flying debris with any available furniture or sturdy equipment. Do NOT open windows. Take account of your co-workers and/or students and attempt to locate missing persons if possible. Tornado Watch: a tornado is possible in your area. You should monitor weather-alert radios and local radio and TV stations for information. Tornado Warning: a tornado has been sighted in the area or has been indicated by National Weather Service Doppler radar. When a warning is issued, take cover immediately.

5 P A G E 5 Training Announcements What If I Am Attacked? NOVA is a safe place, and it needs to be to support the College s academic mission. Your NOVA police work hard to patrol the campuses, provide timely and important safety information through this monthly Public Safety newsletter and training programs, and respond to criminal activity when it does occur in a timely and effective manner. NOVA police have an extraordinary record in solving crimes on campus, in part because we have fostered successful partnerships with the community we serve and local law enforcement agencies. We have also provided the means, such as the LiveSafe mobile safety app, for people to empower themselves with critical communications capabilities and safety information. Check out NOVA s Annual Security Report for data on (relatively rare) instances of major crime on campus and the many NOVA programs to keep you safe: Nevertheless, bad things can happen to good people and we have seen serious crime on all our campuses. More importantly, you do not spend all your time on campus, and life away from NOVA is significantly more dangerous. In Virginia, for instance, an assault occurs about every 60 seconds! Unfortunately, when under attack and seconds count, the police arrive in minutes. In other words, we are responders; we come after the attack has occurred. You must be ready, willing and able to defend yourself in such emergencies. Many people make the mistake of assuming one needs significant physical strength to resist an assault. This, simply, is not true. The key to protecting oneself in in one s head. Do not appear afraid. Predators seek out the weak, and there are things (e.g., combat breathing) you can do to calm yourself and exude a confident attitude, even if you are scared. You will need an appreciation of your body s own weapons (there are many) and targets on an attacker that cannot be hardened. In fact, someone who puts his hands on you has unwittingly opened soft targets you can attack to end the fight, or at least provide an opportunity to escape. Interested in learning more? You are invited to attend a minute lecture on considerations to survive an assault. This lecture is not a hands-on combat course, but it might just give you the necessary awareness and tools to survive an ordeal. Training will be held from 1 pm - 2 pm on the following days and campus locations as indicated below: March 14: Loudoun Campus, Room LR 226 March 15: Alexandria Campus, Room AA 418 March 16: Manassas Campus, Room MP 232 March 17: Medical Education Camus, Room 254 March 18: Woodbridge Campus, Seefedlt Room 104 March 18: Annandale Campus, Room CA 320