Community Safety
Information & Policies
Crime on Campus
Annual Security Report
Campus Crime Statistics
Crime Awareness & Prevention
Phone Assistance
Reporting Crimes
Sex Crimes
Theft of Motor Vehicles
Theft of Property
Victim Assistance for Crimes
Crime Awareness & Prevention
The Reed College community safety office operates a campus crime prevention program. A community safety officer, assisted by student workers, promotes awareness, education, and personal responsibility as aspects of crime prevention. This program is charged with displaying crime alerts throughout campus, placing articles in the Quest informing the community of campus crimes, and providing tips on how to avoid being victimized.
In the fall, community safety officers give crime prevention talks to each of the campus dormitories. The crime prevention unit addresses a "topic of the month" using posters and other advertisements to promote these specific subjects. Topics that are addressed may include reporting theft, sex crimes, suicide, and graffiti. Brochures alerting students to safety concerns are also published and made available to the community on a regular basis.
If you have any questions about the prevention of crime on campus please call extension 7430 or stop in and ask to meet with a crime prevention staff member.
Reporting Crimes
Dial '0' or 503/777-7533
If you are the victim of a crime on campus, please call community safety at the main college switchboard by dialing "0" or calling extension 7533 from any campus telephone. You may also dial 9, 9-1-1.
In cooperation with the Portland Police Bureau, and as an aid to campus crime prevention, community safety officers write police reports for on-campus crimes, forwarding them to the police records section. Such reports routinely include incidents of theft, burglary, and vandalism. For more serious crimes such as assault, the police bureau is, at the victim's option, called in to assist. In this way we hope to track minor crimes while connecting the campus to all the resources of a large metropolitan police department.
Members of the community who prefer to do so may report any crime directly to the Portland Police Bureau. The community safety office will gladly help you with any police report.
The community safety office asks that you provide us with crime information so that we may help you recover your property and keep our campus crime statistics accurate. Reed is fortunate to be in a safe area of Portland, but crimes do occur. Crime reports and department activity are summarized yearly, with many campus crimes routinely reported in the campus newspaper. As circumstances warrant, printed crime alerts may be prepared and distributed either selectively or campus-wide.
Theft of Motor Vehicles
Call 9-911 or 503/777-7533
Vehicles and items left in them can be targets. If you must leave valuables in the car, be sure to lock them in the trunk. If you are going to buy an expensive stereo for your car, purchase it with a detachable face plate. Also get into the habit of keeping your car doors locked when driving.
To help keep your car secure, purchase a wheel locking device (available in the bookstore) for the steering wheel. If you purchase an alarm system for your car, purchase one that will automatically prevent your car from starting until the alarm is reset properly. If you already have any or all of these items, be sure and use them.
Finally, remember to register your vehicle with the community safety office. It's free.
Theft of Property
The most common items stolen on any campus are wallets, backpacks, books, and bicycles. For the most part, these thefts are crimes of opportunity. We find that most stolen items were left out in plain view, unprotected, or unattended. Leaving items at desks, in offices, or in backpacks makes them vulnerable to theft. If you do leave items in your dormitory room or office, be sure the door is locked. Ideally, backpacks should be within your view at all times.
Immediately report any theft to the community safety office by calling 503/777-7533.
Community safety officers will assist you in filing a police report and can provide a copy of the police report for your insurance agency.
Always secure your bicycle and helmet with a high-security U-lock attached to an immovable object in an open, highly frequented area. Be sure to secure or take with you any easily removable bike parts. Register your bicycle with community safety. We will provide you with a decal that will easily identify your bicycle and act as a safety reflector at night.
One of the best deterrents against theft is to mark your personal items. You can write your name and box number in your books (in ink). The community safety office also has an engraver for members of the community to permanently mark their valuables. It works on most items including computers, stereos, and TVs. Engraving your driver's license number or your name onto items makes it difficult for a thief to sell stolen goods and also allows you and the police to easily identify your property if it is stolen. Never inscribe a personal number such as your social security number, bank ID number, address, or birth date on your personal property.
Victim Assistance for Crimes
Dial 503/248-3222
In addition to specialized advocates, the district attorney has a general victim's assistance program that acts as an advocate for crime victims, makes referrals, and keeps victims informed on the status of their case. The state also operates a crime victim's compensation program, which offers compensation for medical and similar no-property expenses to those who meet the following criteria:
- Expenses incurred as the result of a crime in Oregon
- Timely reporting of the crime (with some exceptions)
- Cooperation in apprehension and prosecution
- No wrongdoing or provocation by claimant
- Claim filed within six months
Mental stress can be physically damaging and can impair the quality of life. During the school year, student services personnel are on call 24 hours a day and the health center is open daily (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday). The health center maintains an extensive staff of counselors and others to assist you. Health center counselors are required to observe the same confidentiality laws as all other counselors.
Those wanting crisis help during the summer or from off-campus sources may call the Metro Crisis Line 24-hour telephone at 503/215-7082.
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