Having worked for CCBC Public Safety as a Dispatcher (honestly what have I NOT done here?), I can tell you that CCBC is fairly safe across all campuses. Now we’re gonna keep it that way so we can continue to have nice things! I asked a number of Public Safety officers and dispatchers who have worked for the college far longer than me to give their top tips to stay safe on campus. Consider me your Sparknotes with the summarized TOP 3 SAFETY TIPS and shoutout to my friends at extension 1111 for helping a sista out.
1. Don’t leave your belongings unattended. I tend to overly trust humanity that I leave my laptop anywhere when I need to take a bathroom break. Theft is a thing everywhere and if you make it too easy for people to take your stuff, they will. At least ask someone sitting nearby to keep an eye on them – that’s a much better outlet of trust than my way.
2. Know your resources. The college invests millions into Public Safety to keep the campuses as safe as they are. Like most other college campuses, we have BLUE callboxes everywhere. Hit the button once during an emergency and a highly trained officer will bethere in seconds (to the kid who likes to press it like it’s a game of ding-dong-ditch, please stop it. It will never be funny). Sign up for Campus Alert for important college notifications and visit the Public Safety page to learn more of the many services they offer. Another service worth highlighting is police escort if you ever feel uncomfortable to walk to your car.
3. Be aware of your surroundings. Situational awareness is really the key. This means get off the phone while you’re walking to your car. How are you suppose to know that there’s a car about to hit you when you’re too busy taking a selfie for your snapchat story (@me). This also means not parking in a dark, secluded spot if your class ends late at night. You may think it’s nice and peaceful to walk alone in the dark after a long day and I get it. But you know what’s nicer? Getting home safe.
If you check out the CCBC crime statistics, you might also conclude that our college is pretty safe. The crime rate isn’t zero, however, which is why we have to be mindful of not only our own safety, but others’ as well. Let’s look out for each other so we can all leave here successful as well as undamaged. This way, we can put the “community” in community college 😉
Stay safe, friends!
