Public Safety Advisories and Notifications

The university may issue a BSUInform notice when a situation is not an emergency and does not pose an immediate threat to the campus community but it is of significant safety interest to members of the Ball State community.

The service is intended to make students and employees aware by providing information about a situation. For instance, police might receive reports of a crime but do not believe a continuing threat exists. Or a crime might occur off campus, but the incident’s location might concern students’ or employees’ safety.

The university sends BSUInform notices through Ball State email.

Examples

Would the university issue a BSUInform notice in the following scenarios?

Maybe. There were reports of gunshots associated with an armed robbery at a convenience store several blocks east of the university. Muncie Police arrived and quickly had suspects in custody. A BSUInform may be sent out to alleviate concerns and dispel rumors.

Maybe. School breaks are times where opportunistic crimes, such as burglaries, increase. The university may issue a BSUInform notice before the break to remind people to secure their belongings and homes.

The director of public safety or a designee might determine there is an immediate threat to the health and safety of students or employees on campus who need to protect themselves from imminent danger, such as a gas leak in a building.

In these cases, the university sends emergency notifications via Ball State's website, email, Twitter, classroom call boxes, and mobile text messaging to subscribers. The university may also use a campus siren.

In each classroom there is a square red Emergency callbox which can dial directly to University Police. If an Emergency Text is sent out, the call boxes will convert text to voice to alert the class. Should there be an emergency affecting a particular classroom, hit the ‘call’ button to be connected to University Police.

When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, Ball State will post pertinent information on the homepage of bsu.edu and send a text message to subscribers of the university’s emergency text-messaging system. Students, employees, and others should continue to monitor the weather via radio or television until the tornado warning has been lifted for their area.

Marketing and Communications also uses this system when the vice president for business affairs or a designee determines classes are canceled or the campus is closed.

Examples

Would Ball State issue an emergency warning in the following scenarios?

Yes. University Police confirm a report of an explosion in an on campus building.

Yes. The university confirms a report of a gas leak in the Art and Journalism Building. 

No. A multiple-vehicle accident at the Scramble Light injures several people. There is no time-sensitive threat or action required by other university community members. Instead, the university may issue a public safety advisory encouraging others to avoid the area.

When a crime occurs on campus or on a public area adjacent to campus, the Department of Public Safety may decide to issue a public safety advisory if the situation poses a serious or ongoing threat to the campus community.

Public safety advisories are intended to heighten safety awareness, alert campus community members of potential dangers, and to seek information that could lead to an arrest and conviction of perpetrators of violent crimes or major crimes against property.

The university issues public safety advisories through Ball State email.

Process

The Ball State chief of police or a designee reviews all reports to determine if there is an on-going threat to the community and if the incidents warrant public safety advisories. The university issues advisories subject to the availability of pertinent information concerning the incident.

University Police may consult with other university officials or local law enforcement and safety personnel on a case-by-case basis.

Ball State does not publish the names of crime victims or provide information that could lead to a victim’s identity.

Criteria

The university will issue a public safety advisory if the Department of Public Safety determines an incident meets all of the following conditions:

• a reportable crime, under the Clery Act, has been reported: criminal homicide, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, hate crime (includes any of the previously mentioned offenses, as well as cases of larceny or theft, simple assault, intimidation, or destruction of property motivated by bias)
• the crime was reported to university officials
• a crime occurred on campus or the public property surrounding the campus
• there is a continuing danger to the campus community and issuing the public safety advisory will not compromise law enforcement efforts to address the crime
• any non-Clery crime occurring on campus or on public property adjacent to campus that, in the opinion of the director of public safety or a designee, constitutes a serious or continuing threat to the campus community

The Department of Public Safety determines cases of aggravated assault and sex offenses on a case-by-case basis.

Examples

Would the university issue a public safety advisory in the following scenarios?

Yes. University Police confirmed a report of an explosion in an on campus building and it is determined that a continued threat may still exist.

Maybe. University Police received a report of a sexual assault in a residence hall. This crime occurred on campus, and even if the people involved knew one another, there could be a continuing threat. If there is an advisory, the university will not provide the name of the victim nor the residence hall. Doing so could lead to the identification of the victim.

No. Someone was assaulted south of the Village, and police arrested the assailant. The crime occurred outside of the Clery reporting area, and the assailant was arrested, so no continuing threat exists.