Campus Police

Our Goal

Dallas Theological Seminary Police, through cooperation with other departments, strives to create a campus environment in which people are safe from physical harm and property is secure, in a manner that is consistent with federal, state, and local laws as well as with Seminary regulations. At the same time we aim to ensure a climate conducive to ministry, academic investigation, extracurricular activity, and residential living.

Crime Prevention Through Preparation

Campus Police and/or Campus Security officers are on campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, serving nearly 2,000 people who work and study on our urban campus.

The Campus Police Office is located in the police kiosk between the Walvoord Student Center and Turpin Library.

You can contact Campus Police any time of the day or night at 214-841-3590 or by dialing 3590 from any campus phone.

A phone is located directly outside the police kiosk that will call Campus Police directly. Two emergency phones marked with blue lights are also located in the fenced parking lot (N1) located at Live Oak and St. Joseph streets.

Campus Police staff are Seminary employees, some of whom are students or alumni. Personnel are either police officers holding licenses through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, or security officers holding commissions through the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Bureau.

What We Do

• Speak to new students during orientation to advise them of potential dangers.
• Maintain a literature rack in the Student Center stocked with crime-prevention materials.
• Submit articles to the Kerygma in an attempt to keep crime awareness at a proper level, reminding students, staff, and faculty that they are ultimately responsible for their own actions, and therefore their own security.
• Respond to all reports of suspicious persons or vehicles on the premises.
• Provide escorts around the clock for any reason.
• Unlock the campus each weekday morning between 6 and 7 A.M. and promptly secure the campus following evening classes in order to keep out unauthorized persons.
• Operate a highly visible squad car with law-enforcement accessories. This vehicle is used to patrol the campus and to respond to police and medical emergencies.

Sexual Assult

In the event of a sexual assault the victim is strongly encouraged to report the incident.

Student Services and Campus Police are the campus offices authorized to deal with sexual offenses. These offices will provide specific information to the victim explaining how to bring formal charges against the offender.

Victims of a sex crime are encouraged to take advantage of the Seminary’s counseling services. Referrals to other community support services will be made when appropriate.

Investigation and Enforcement

The Campus Police department oversees the reporting and investigation of all criminal incidents on the campus and strongly encourages all victims to make timely reports to Campus Police and to the Dallas Police department. Dallas Seminary police officers are authorized by law to arrest anyone committing an offense in their presence or view. Persons committing these criminal violations on campus are taken into custody and prosecuted through the criminal justice system.

Campus Police is responsible to see that all parking regulations are enforced on campus, including the issuing of parking permits for all vehicles. They also facilitate Dallas Seminary’s compliance with all local, state, and federal laws that have a direct bearing on campus security.

Campus Police sends copies of crime reports to a limited number of people, depending on the circumstances. Those who may receive a copy include the president, vice president for Business Affairs, vice president for Student Services, director of Risk Management, director of Housing, and others as needed to keep them informed of security incidents.

Unsafe and hazardous conditions are reported to the director of Facilities and Plant Operations and the director of Risk Management. We are open to suggestions from all persons, and are constantly looking for new ways to improve the safety and security of those associated with Dallas Seminary.

Registered Sex Offenders

To find information on registered sex offenders see the websites for the Texas Department of Public Safety: https://records.txdps.state.tx.us .

Weapons

The possession of any kind of firearm at any school or institution of higher education is a crime according to state law (Texas Penal Code 46.03) and also against Seminary regulation. The only exceptions to this law are for authorized law enforcement, police officers, and commissioned security officers. Violators are subject to arrest and/or referral to the dean of students for disciplinary action.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

Dallas Seminary is a drug-free and alcohol-free campus. The use, possession, consumption, sale, manufacture, or delivery of illicit drugs and narcotics, including marijuana and drug paraphernalia, is prohibited by law and Seminary regulation. Violators are subject to arrest and/or referral to the dean of students for disciplinary action.

Counseling services for drug and substance abuse are available through the Seminary’s counseling center. In addition, the counseling center offers referral services to off-campus rehabilitation programs or to long-term individual therapy sessions if needed. See Dallas Seminary’s pamphlet, Drug & Alcohol Health Risks & Sanctions for further information.

Crime and Statistics

Dallas Seminary Campus Police work closely with the Dallas Police department and Baylor Hospital Police department. These three organizations share information about crime and alert each other to crime trends and suspect information in order to produce a safer community.

In cooperation and compliance with the Student Right-to-Know and the Campus Security Act of 1990, Dallas Seminary Police make public the crime statistics for the three previous school years. These statistics report the place on or near the campus.

By law these statistics must also include the number of arrests for violations of liquor law, drug abuse, and weapons violations. The statistics listed below may or may not involve Dallas Seminary faculty, staff, or students. For example, statistics are kept on the number of intoxicated individuals taken to detoxification centers. These individuals usually have no connection to Dallas Seminary.

2007 statistics will be available fall 2008.

Categories

CATEGORIES	2004	2005	2006
Murder	0	0	0
Sexual assault	0	0	0
Robbery	0	0	0
Aggravated assault	0	0	0
Hate crime	0	0	0
Burglary
Building	1	1	1
Auto	10	14	21
Motor vehicle theft	2	0	2
ARRESTS	2004	2005	2006
Liquor law violations	1	1	0
Drug abuse violations	0	0	0
Weapons violations	0	0	0

Contact Us

Dallas Theological Seminary CAMPUS POLICE 3909 Swiss Avenue Dallas, Texas 75204 (214) 841-3590

For more information including registered sex offenders, please see the following web sites: Dallas Police Department of Public Safety