Incident Reporting and Response
Any criminal offense, suspected criminal activity, or other emergency on campus should be reported directly to the Dallas College Police Department by telephone, in person, or by dialing (972) 860-4290 from any campus phone or by using one of the emergency telephones located throughout our campuses. Campus elevators are also equipped with emergency phones. Upon receipt of the call, the Emergency Services Division personnel can supply information or dispatch officers, as necessary.
Dallas College campuses witness a crime or emergency, promptly report it to the Dallas College Police Department and be prepared to answer questions as accurately as you can. The subsequent investigation can only be as thorough as the information received. If you are the victim of a crime or you have seen or received information of criminal activity or other emergency, please contact the Dallas College Police Department immediately. Police personnel in vehicles, on foot or on bicycles are eager to be of assistance and may be contacted directly. The Dallas College Police Department will respond as quickly and safely as possible to any request for assistance, whether it is an emergency or not. Response time is based on current activity and severity of the call.
Crimes in progress, alarms, traffic accidents with injuries and medical assists have a higher priority than other types of calls. Prompt and accurate crime reports are critical, no matter when it occurs. If a crime is not promptly reported, evidence can be destroyed or the potential to apprehend the suspect is lost. Without accurate reports, leads could be missed and the investigation headed in the wrong direction. Promptly report all crimes to the Dallas College Police Department and be prepared to answer questions as accurately as possible. The subsequent investigation can only be as thorough as the information received. If one has experienced crime or seen or received information of criminal activity or other emergency, please contact the DC Police Department immediately.
Reporting Criminal Offenses to Dallas College Police
Dallas College Police Department strongly encourages all members of its community to report the violation of any criminal offense occurring on campus to the Dallas College Police Department. The victim has the choice whether or not to make such a report and victims have the right to decline involvement with the police. A victim may request assistance in notifying local law enforcement in the event the offense occurred off campus. The Dallas College Police Department can be contacted by phone at 972-860-4290, in person or online.
Please provide as much information as possible such as:
- Name and the location calling from.
- Describe what has happened or the nature of call.
- Give detailed information on any suspect(s) involved.
- Whether an ambulance is needed for any possible injuries.
- Report knowledge of any theft, vandalism, threats, suspicious activity, disruptive students, verbal abuse, drug activity, or traffic accidents/violations/speeding.
- Security issues may also be reported such as trip hazards, electrical hazards, inoperative doors/outdoor lighting, parking hazards, locked/malfunctioning doors, or fire hazards.
- Be prepared to answer specific questions the dispatcher may ask in order to obtain necessary information relevant to the call for service.
Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to report any problems with the campus environment directly to the Dallas College Police, but also report criminal offenses to designated campus officials (including but not limited to directors, deans and department heads) or to other local law enforcement agencies.
Crimes can be reported anonymously by calling Dallas Crime Stoppers at (214) 373-8477. The Dallas College Police Department, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Department of Student Affairs at each campus will accept confidential and anonymous reports of crimes for inclusion in the annual statistical report. Although exempt from the reporting requirements of the Clery Act, pastoral and professional mental health counselors are encouraged to refer persons to report crimes on a voluntary, confidential basis for inclusion in the annual statistics especially if the incident poses a continuous threat to the campus. Dallas College PD’s goal is to provide assistance wherever the report is made to make sure all information is included in the annual security report.
Voluntary Confidential Reporting
Victims that do not want to pursue action within the Campus system or the criminal justice system, may still want to consider making a confidential report. With the victim’s permission an officer can file a report on the details of the incident without revealing the victim’s identity (except to the Title IX Coordinator in the event of a reported sex offense or sexual harassment). The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with the victim’s wish to keep the matter confidential, while taking steps to enhance the future safety of the victim and others. With this information, the Campus can keep an accurate record of the number of incidents involving students, employees and visitors; determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method, or assailant; and it helps alert the campus community to potential danger. Reports filed in this manner are counted and disclosed in the annual crime statistics for the institution.
Notice of Penalty for False Alarm or Report
As of September 1, 2013, an offense committed under Section 42.06, of the Texas Penal Code, making a False Alarm or Report, a person commits an offense if he knowingly initiates, communicates or circulates a report of a present, past, or future bombing, fire, offense or other emergency that he knows is false or baseless and that would ordinarily:
- cause action by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies.
- place a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or
- prevent or interrupt the occupation of a building, room, place of assembly, place to which the public has access, or aircraft, automobile, or other mode of conveyance.
An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $4,000; confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year; or both such fine and confinement.
If the false report is of an emergency involving a public or private institution of higher education or involving a public primary or secondary school, public communications, public transportation, public water, gas or power supply or other public service, the offense is a state jail felony. An individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony shall be punished by confinement in a state jail for any term of not more than two years or less than 180 days. In addition to confinement, an individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.
This notification is in compliance with Section 51.219, Texas Education Code, and Notification of Penalty for False Alarm or Report.