FAQs
Please use the contact info below:
- Emergencies: 508-999-9191 or x9191
- Information: 508-999-8107 or x8107
- Anonymous Tip Line: 508-999-8477 or x8477
Go to a safe place. Then contact someone you trust and tell them what happened. They can help you consider options, obtain medical care and support you. If you can, write down, or have your support person write down, everything you can remember about the assault/rape.
Get medical care. Go to the hospital emergency room for treatment.
It is your choice to report the crime to the police. Reporting the crime does not obligate you to pursue prosecution of a suspect. If you want police assistance: on campus, contact the University Police/Department of Public Safety. The emergency number is 508-999-9191 or x9191; the non-emergency number is 508-999-8107 or x8107; off campus, contact the local police at 911.
Reporting the crime can help you gain a sense of control and can help ensure the safety of other potential victims. In order to preserve evidence, clothes should not be laundered and a shower should not be taken.
Alcohol poisoning is an "overdose of alcohol." It is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, you should call the university police immediately at 508-999-9191 or x9191. (Don't try to guess the level of drunkenness. Make the call.) Then:
- Do not leave the person alone
- Do not give the person anything to eat or drink
- Roll the person onto his/her side and monitor his/her breathing (should be approximately 10-12 breaths/minute) until medical assistance arrives
Yes, after investigation of such an incident, the preferred response by the responding officers shall be to arrest an individual if it is determined that there is probable cause of abuse as defined in C209A of the Massachusetts General Laws. If there is a restraining order in effect, then the officer shall arrest the violator of the order.
During the course of their duties, police officers may need to stop citizens for various reasons. From time to time, it becomes necessary for a police officer to stop people in the community to make an inquiry. Usually this occurs in areas of high crime, soon after a crime has been committed or in an area at an odd hour of the day/night. The most frequent stop or encounter that occurs between police officers and citizens is the traffic stop. If an officer stops you, your forthright responses will usually quickly resolve the situation.
UMass Dartmouth is a community, and its members should be able to learn, live, work, and take part in recreational activities in an atmosphere that is as safe as possible. The members of the Department of Public Safety are here--24 hours a day, 365 days a year--to provide a professional level of service and to ensure a safe environment for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
The department is led by the Chief of Police / Director of Public Safety.
The Department of Public Safety provides police services, community policing programs, crime prevention and safety services, as well as dispatch, security and parking services. Department staff provide safety escorts, offer informative presentations to students and staff on a number of safety and crime prevention topics. Select department members also instruct women in self-defense through the RAD system. Learn more about our services on the University Police website.
UMass Dartmouth police officers receive the same initial training through the Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP) (PDF) as municipal law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the MPTC. Officers are also assigned frequently to attend in-depth training in a wide variety of specialized topics such as crime prevention theory, the investigations of sexual assaults and bias-related incidents. In addition to specialized training, our officers also receive annual in-service training covering areas such as firearms training, first-responder training, and legal updates.
UMass Dartmouth police officers are sworn under Chapter 75, Section 32A of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. They are vested with full law enforcement powers and have the same authority as the police officers in any city or town in Massachusetts.
The university police officer may patrol the campus in various ways; they may patrol using marked police cruisers, on foot, on mountain bikes and ATV. Police officers are vested with full law enforcement powers and receives the same initial training as municipal law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth. Police officers are responsible for enforcing the Massachusetts General Laws as well as university policies.
The university security officers (also known as Institutional Security Officers - ISO) also patrol the campus on foot or using the Parking Enforcement vehicle. ISOs have the authority to enforce university policies; however, security officers do not have the power to arrest.