Campus Safety
About Us
A Message from the Director of Campus Safety
Mission Statement
A Message from the Director of Campus Safety
Welcome to the Muhlenberg College Department of Campus Safety website. The tips and information provided within this website are provided as positive steps to help reduce the chances of becoming victimized. The information provided are risk reduction strategies but they are not foolproof. There are no guarantees and nothing works all the time. It is our hope that these tips be used by you as a preparatory step towards your overall safety and in formulating your individual safety plan.
The Campus Safety Department’s primary mission is to provide a safe and secure campus environment, the prevention and detection of crime, the maintenance of public order and service to the community. Our mission objective is to provide a safe environment in which members of the Muhlenberg community can pursue academic goals in a secure environment.
The Campus Safety Department exists to prevent, whenever possible, students or other members of the community from harming themselves or others, or from violating state and federal laws or the Muhlenberg College Social Code. Our department strives to provide the necessary education and training for individual officers to promote departmental growth and increased professionalism. We will also strive to be sensitive and supportive to the Muhlenberg community, while educating them regarding responsibility and character. As you will discover on our website our office provides proactive services for members of the community to assist in making them feel safe as individuals in the community.
The Campus Safety Department is available to members of the community for purposes other than law enforcement. We provide a support system of information and guidance and work closely with other support services to best meet the needs of a diverse campus community. This web site provides information as required of Pennsylvania's College and University Security Information Act and the Federal Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act, as amended in 1992. We encourage you to view our entire site and contact the appropriate office if you have a question. I hope your time spent at Muhlenberg College is safe and you have the opportunity to use the many services provided by our department. We hope you find our web site informative and hope that it aids you in whatever information-seeking journey you are on.
Thomas Dougherty
Director of Campus Safety
Department of Campus Safety's Mission Statement
The Campus Safety Department’s mission is to promote an environment that enhances the quality of life, safety, and security of our community. We accomplish the mission through the delivery of a comprehensive and integrated safety and security program that strives to provide a safe and secure environment, to prevent and detect crime, and to maintain public order in partnership with the community we serve.
We support professional safety and security services that value and respect the rights and differences of all members of the department, as well as those of the college and the communities that we proudly serve. The Campus Safety Department will not knowingly allow students or other members of the community to harm themselves or others, nor to violate state and/or federal laws, city ordinances, or the Muhlenberg College Social Code (http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/aboutus/deanst/student_policies/). We make every to be sensitive and supportive of the Muhlenberg community, while educating members regarding personal responsibility. Our office provides services to the community to assist them in making appropriate choices as responsible individuals. We are committed to the professional and personal development of all members of the department, and in turn, we expect all of our employees to be models of excellence. Ultimately, we strive each and every day to earn the trust, confidence, and respect of our community.
The Office of Campus Safety (OCS) is responsible for providing a variety of services for the campus. The OCS is headed by a Director who reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students. There are 12 uniformed personnel, one full-time dispatcher, one full-time switchboard operator/part-time dispatcher, and five part-time dispatcher. The officers of OCS enforce federal and local statutes as well as Muhlenberg policies and regulations.
The OCS recognizes its responsibility to provide crime prevention and emergency police services to members of the Muhlenberg College community while they are in the immediate campus neighborhood, as well as when they are on official campus property. To that end, all officers are commissioned as special police officers through Lehigh County Court under the provisions of the Non-Profit Corporation Law of 1972; Act No. 271 (codified at 22Pa. C.S.A. 501). Commissioned Officers have full law enforcement authority in and upon all property owned, occupied or used by College and in the immediate and adjacent vicinity of the property. The OCS is on duty 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The OCS at Muhlenberg College works closely with the Dean of Students Office, and the Allentown Police and Fire Departments to create a campus environment that is both safe and secure. The OCS works to prevent crime, to ensure that the College's Social Code is respected, to provide security patrols, and to respond to the needs of individuals in the College community.
To achieve our objective, the Campus Safety Department will not knowingly allow students or other members of the community to harm themselves or others, nor to violate state and/or federal laws, city ordinances, or the Muhlenberg College Social Code. We strive to be sensitive and supportive to the Muhlenberg community, while educating members regarding personal responsibility. Our office provides proactive services for members of the community to assist them in making appropriate choices as responsible individuals. The Department provides services to the Muhlenberg community including but not limited to:
- Variety of crime prevention programs, which includes but is, not limited to Operation Identification, EMS services and Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) programs.
- Escort/transportation service for all members of the community from dusk to dawn.
- A support system of information and guidance
- After regular business hours, we serve as the primary liaison to other service personnel as Health Services, Residential Services, Plant Operations, and various administrative offices.
Collaborative activities with other areas of the Dean of Students’ division promote shared interdepartmental goals.
The Department of Campus Safety is located in the lower level of Prosser Hall, it is handicapped accessible and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year.