Articles

Articles

Be Your Own Security Force
'ALICE' UCSD Emergency Response Training
'RAIN' UCR Emergency Response Training

Be Your Own Security Force

As the days get shorter and activity picks up on UC campuses, the need for crime prevention is more important than ever. Tough economic times trigger property crimes, and crimes against people are another unfortunate fact of life. And though law enforcement professionals are on the job, prevention is much more effective when individuals take an active role in protecting themselves.

Keeping yourself and your possessions secure in the fast-moving campus environment is a joint effort shared by you and your local UC police department. “Police officers are dedicated to their mission to protect you,” says UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza; “But they can’t be everywhere all the time. It’s up to each of us to take steps to ensure our own safety, both on and off campus.”

Reset Perspective from Passive to Active

It’s natural for people to put routine activities on auto-pilot and overlook basic precautions. This passive attitude is just what law-breakers are looking for as they scan for criminal opportunities. They are more likely to avoid someone who is aware and on guard, protecting their space and ready to react to the unexpected. Start with a reality check. Recognize that it can happen to you and use your imagination to identify the potential for danger at all points of your daily activities.  Take advantage of crime prevention programs and training offered by your UC police agency. Work together with your family and co-workers to sustain your proactive mindset and crime-resistant behaviors.

It Takes a Department

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts when department members work together to safeguard people, possessions and vital university resources. A group effort can generate momentum, raise awareness and make it easier to track success. Positive steps toward crime prevention in the workplace:

- Contact your UC police agency regarding training and education, crime prevention presentations.
- Ask about specific coaching to improve security in your department.
- Get to know staff members from other departments in your work area so you know who is authorized to be there.
- To protect departmental resources, everyone on staff should follow the policy for file back-up and data security. Update and communicate the policy often to keep up with advances in technology.
- Train staff on how to report suspicious or threatening behavior, and how to spot the signs of potential workplace violence.
- Update and communicate contact numbers and procedures for quickly reaching your facility’s police force.
- Develop or update your department’s emergency response plan.
- Work with your campus emergency response staff to set up periodic emergency response exercises.

Invest your Attention on Your Personal Safety

Though it’s easy to let your thoughts drift as you move through your day-to-day routine, the cost of this distraction can be a purse or backpack snatch or worse. The next time you’re walking, cycling or jogging, make a conscious effort to examine your surroundings carefully. “Don’t walk about with both ears plugged while you listen to music,” advises Chief Spicuzza; “Trust us, you won’t hear anyone coming up from behind.” Use all five senses—including your sixth sense—and stay alert for possible threats. Try using this mental checklist:

- Are there nearby areas that could conceal a criminal?
- Where is the nearest open building entrance if you need to ask for help?
- Are you weighed down by excessive bags and packages?
- Are your shoes suitable for running if that becomes necessary?
- Is your cell phone easy accessible, and is the emergency number programmed in?
- Do you know how to describe your location to the dispatcher?
- Do you really need to talk or text right now, or can you postpone the distraction and pay attention to your surroundings instead?

Police agencies also encourage you to follow these simple tips:

- Use lit paths and well-traveled areas when you go out at night.
- Don’t jog or walk alone. Travel with a group or at least in pairs.
- Take advantage of escort services whenever they are available.
- Don’t leave valuables in plain sight in your vehicle. Even if you try to conceal your possessions, thieves may still break in.
- Keep careful control over laptops and other electronics when you’re in the library, meeting rooms, cafes or other public areas on campus.
- Keep your office, laboratory or workshop doors locked if you’re working after hours.
- Don’t prop doors open. If they are meant to be closed and locked, leave them that way.
- Lock your purse, backpack and other valuables in a drawer or cabinet if you step away from your workspace.

Take Advantage of Campus Resources

Your UC police department and other emergency response professionals are there to help you. Time spent exploring their websites for advisories, program and educational opportunities and other information is time well spent. Follow up by attending crime prevention, self-defense and emergency response courses. “The most important advice I have for everyone in our campus communities is to stay vigilant and stay involved,” says Chief Spicuzza; “When you combine individuals who take responsibility for their own safety with professionally trained and equipped officers, you have a very powerful, effective, crime-deterring partnership.”

UCSD Program Prepares People to React When There are Only Seconds to Spare

You’re confronted by an aggressor. Or you hear shots fired, witness a crime in progress or see a crisis unfolding in front of you. How do you react? Is there anything you can do in those critical first moments to protect yourself or help others?
 “A common reaction is to simply freeze up,” says Sergeant Doug O’Dell of the UC San Diego Police Department. “People are stunned into inaction because what they’re seeing is so far out of their experience. They can’t react because their minds are racing to make sense of it. The resulting delay can mean the difference between life and death, literally. In most emergencies, there’s a brief window of time in which to take decisive action such as fighting back, running for cover, rendering help or evacuating a building.”
 Teaching students, faculty and staff to bypass the ‘deer in the headlights’ phase and take advantage of that window of opportunity is the goal of a new UC San Diego training  module introduced this fall. A.L.I.C.E. training, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate, was developed by Texas-based Response Options.
  “The A.L.I.C.E. approach is similar to our rape aggression defense training, continues Sgt. O’Dell. “We ask people to reprogram the stunned-victim mindset into an active, creative, empowered attitude so they can better defend themselves when confronted by an assailant.”

Training attendees learn what to expect during an attack and when it’s appropriate to lock down, stay out of sight and avoid confrontation. They also learn techniques for physically resisting attack when avoidance doesn’t work. “Physical confrontation is difficult for most people and impossible for some,” says Sgt. O’Dell. “Through role-playing and practice sessions, those who feel they can take strong action learn simple ways to neutralize a threat that don’t require superior physical strength. For example, in an active shooter situation, a group of people can “swarm” the suspect and hold the person down until law enforcement personnel can respond.” After the practice sessions, trainees receive feedback and advice on their response effectiveness.

The course also encourages people to think outside the box. “You’d be surprised at how many people won’t take the step of breaking a window to evacuate during a crisis, or throw chairs, bags, laptops etc. at an assailant or otherwise distract them so they’re no longer in control of the scene.”

Prior to attending the A.L.I.C.E. training program, those who register will view the educational video “Shots Fired on Campus – When Lightning Strikes” and participate in a discussion and comprehension assessment.

UC San Diego’s A.L.I.C.E. training course will start this fall, beginning with Geisel Library staff and members of the UCSD Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT). All members of the UC San Diego campus community are encouraged to sign up for the free training, which is currently scheduled to take place quarterly. “We’ll add more classes if the demand is there,” says Sgt. O’Dell. “Knowing what to expect and how to react can give people just enough of an edge in terms of survival in a crisis. It’s our goal to empower them so they have that edge.”

To learn more about the UCSD Police Department go to
http://blink.ucsd.edu/sponsor/police/

UC Riverside’s Innovative “RAIN” Training Model for Effective Response to Campus Violence

Since 2009, UC Riverside Police Department’s “RAIN” training module has helped faculty, staff and students learn how to react more effectively in an emergency situation.

Training topics include medical aid response, early violence intervention, UCR’s 3n Emergency Notification System and guidance on implementing the “RAIN” model—a process for reacting in the first three minutes of a crisis. The RAIN acronym refers to the following thought sequence to be followed by anyone on campus in the event of a shooting or other crisis situation:

RESPOND: Do something, don’t freeze up.
ASSESS:   Assess victims, suspects and location.
ISOLATE:  Isolate yourself and others from the violence.
NOTIFY:   Notify proper authorities.

The course is designed to help people sidestep the typical reaction of shock and victimization and instead, react quickly and appropriately when confronted with the unexpected. Role-playing, multi-media presentations and group discussions help to engage and energize the attendees. UC Riverside Police make the easy-to-follow and remember RAIN response course available at no cost to student, faculty, and staff. 

The presentation is thorough and informative. It covers the five phases of an “active shooter” incident, early and imminent warning signs of violence, role of the Critical Student Incident Team, UC Riverside Police Department’s annual Active Shooter Training scenarios, joint responses with local police agencies, emergency mass communication systems on campus, and finally instruction on how to work through the RAIN model.

The presentation can be tailored to fit the audience and what is expected of them during a crisis. For example, residence hall staff has specific responsibilities to help others respond in their residential areas. Academic staff is responsible for giving students clear and calm direction if violence occurs in a large lecture setting.  
The RAIN course is offered through the UC Riverside Human Resources website. The course is presented by UCPD Crime Prevention Officer Wade Stern, and through a narrated slide show available on the Department’s website. Officer Stern has been with UC Riverside PD for several years and has experience as a field training officer and firearms instructor. He conducts regular presentations at the UCPD police station and at new employee orientations, and provides on-site presentations for departments that prefer to host Officer Stern at their workplace.

“Since its introduction, RAIN has provided thousands of students, faculty, and staff with guidance on how to react if the worst should happen,” says Officer Stern. “Our goal is to offer this response presentation to everyone on campus. With the campus community in partnership with UCPD, we can all respond more effectively to a crisis situation.” Visit www.police.ucr.edu to learn more about the UC Riverside Police Department and for information on how to enroll in the RAIN class.