NOVA PUBLIC SAFETY NEWSLETTER

re

NOVA Public Safety

Newsletter

OCTOBER 2019

Penelope reminds you to watch out for trick or treaters

IN THIS ISSUE

Penelope the NOVA Police Cat

Release of NOVA’s 2019 Annual\Security Report

Chief Dusseau Recognized

Great SouthEast ShakeOut Earthquake Drill

DEA Drug Take Back Event

NOVA Police Training Announcements

Download the FREE LiveSafe

Mobile Safety App

Police Dispatch (703) 764-5000Call Us 24/7/365

Novapolice@nvcc.edu

Penelope the NOVA Police Cat Supports Young Readers

When not fighting crime at NOVA or rescuing students stuck in trees, Penelope the NOVA Police Cat loves to read; her favorite genre is cat-astrophes. Here, she is seen supporting a young reader.

Check out Penelope’s daily safety tips and other witticisms at her Instagram account: @penelopenovapolicecat. She’s the cat’s meow.

Release of NOVA’s 2019 Annual \ Security Report

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, codified at 20 USC 1092 (f) requires all colleges that receive federal funding to publish a annual security report (ASR) to employees and students every October 1st. The ASR must include statistics of campus crime for the preceding three calendar years, plus details about efforts taken to improve campus safety.

NOVA’s 2019 ASR was released October 1st and is now available for review. It can be found at: https://www.nvcc.edu/police/college-safety/reports.html

Clery statistics are generated from NOVA Police calls for service, outside law enforcement agencies, Campus Security Authorities (CSA’s), and Deans of Students disciplinary judicial proceedings reported from January 1 -

NOVA PUBLIC SAFETY NEWSLETTER 2 4

Release of NOVA’s 2019 Security Report (cont’d)

December 31, 2018. Information concerning reported crimes include those that occurred on-campus; in certain non-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by NOVA; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from College property.

Clery requires reporting for specific crimes such as murder, robbery, arson, burglary, aggravated assault, sexual assaults, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. It also requires reporting hate crimes as well as firearms, and (selected) alcohol and narcotics violations. In addition, the Clery Act establishes requirements and procedures for timely notifications of emergency or dangerous situations, along with appropriate protective actions.

The ASR is a comprehensive document and includes institutional policies concerning campus safety and security, such as policies concerning sexual assault, weapons on College property, and processes and procedures for reporting and responding to the NOVA Community’s needs in emergencies. You may obtain a free paper copy of the ASR by requesting one at any NOVA police office or dispatch.

The following link (http://www.nvcc.edu/police/clery/index.html) will bring you to the NOVA Clery compliance webpage. At the site, you can review the various green buttons near the bottom of the page. The Daily Crime Log (https://blogs.nvcc.edu/crimelog/), which highlights NOVA Police’s most current activities and calls for service across all NOVA properties, is also available. Daily Crime Log information can provide insight to what is happening at your specific NOVA location as well as provide situational awareness. All Clery-reportable crimes or incidents can be reported anonymously by calling NOVA Police at (703)-764-5000 or by submitting the NOVA Campus Security Authority Jeanne Clery Act Statistics Incident Report available at: http://www.nvcc.edu/forms/pdf/105-174.pdf.

Chief Dusseau Recognized

On September 18, 2019, Dan Dusseau, NOVA’s Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety, received the (Virginia’s) Governor’s Award for Administrative Excellence. In commenting upon his receipt of the Governor’s award, Chief Dusseau noted “This award is less about me than it is an acknowledgement of the hard work, professionalism, and dedication of NOVA’s police officers and our Office of Emergency Management and Safety. I want to thank them along with NOVA’s leadership for their support.”

NOVA PUBLIC SAFETY NEWSLETTER 3

Chief Dusseau Recognized (cont’d) Dusseau was selected as the Commonwealth’s best administrator following a competition of officials from all state departments, offices and agencies. He was recognized for numerous achievements including:

• Centralizing police administration for the College’s six campuses • Establishing a 24/7/365 state-of-the-art dispatch center that covers all campuses • Publishing numerous articles in national professional law enforcement magazines • Creating a community outreach program that provides more than 200 annual safety and security presentations on

NOVA campuses as at well as local, state, and national venues • Replacing the department’s General Orders with 130 new directives that incorporate the latest legal guidance and

best practices for law enforcement operations

These achievements, among many others, are responsible for the 64% drop in reported crime on NOVA campuses in the last five years. Chief Dusseau came to NOVA in 2010 after retiring as a major from the Prince Georges County Police Department where he served as a commander in every aspect of policing. In his nine years at NOVA, he has received numerous awards, including Campus Safety magazine’s 2014 award for the nation’s best higher education police chief or director of security; the Virginia Campus Law Enforcement Administrators’ 2015 and 2017 awards for Outstanding Achievements in Campus Law Enforcement; and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce 2015 award for Excellence in Community Service.

Great SouthEast ShakeOut Earthquake Drill

Mark your calendars! NOVA will participate in the Great SouthEast ShakeOut Earthquake Drill on Thursday, October 17th at 10:17 am. This will give you an opportunity to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” the safe response to an earthquake.

An announcement will be made on October 17th at 10:17 am to start the drill. Once the announcement is made, you should DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON wherever you are–in class, studying in a campus lounge or at home.

• DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you)

• Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table

• HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops

NOVA PUBLIC SAFETY NEWSLETTER 4

Great SouthEast ShakeOut Earthquake Drill (cont’d)

When the Shaking Starts • If you are indoors, DROP to the floor. Stay

there until the shaking has stopped and you are sure exiting is safe.

• COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture.

• HOLD ON until the shaking stops. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building.

• Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture.

• Don’t use a doorway except if you know it’s a strongly supported, load-bearing doorway and it’s close to you. Many inside doorways are lightly constructed and offer little protection.

• Be aware: electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on.

• DO NOT use elevators. • If you are outdoors, stay there. Move away from

buildings, overhangs, trees and power lines to a clear area such as a large open public area or field.

• If you are in a moving vehicle, stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings or trees.

Once the Shaking Stops • Exit the building when safety

permits and move to the designated assembly area.

• Use emergency exit route information posted throughout the building to determine the quickest route out.

• Expect aftershocks. • Only use the telephone for

emergency calls. • Be aware that utilities such as gas,

power and water lines may be damaged. Report damaged utilities.

• Wait for instructions from wardens, emergency responders, police, and campus officials.

These and other life-saving procedures can be found at http://www.nvcc.edu/emergency.

DEA Drug Take-Back Event

NOVA Police will participate in DEA’s Drug Take-Back Event, scheduled on October 26th, from 10 am to 2 pm. Below are the drop-off sites for NOVA: Annandale Campus: CA Building, 1st Floor, Main Entrance 8333 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 22003

Alexandria Campus: AA building (Entrance from A-4 Parking Lot) 5000 Dawes Ave. Alexandria, VA 22311

Contact Community Outreach Officer Corwin (RCorwin@nvcc.edu) with any questions or refer to the following website for information on what can be collected.

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html

NOVA PUBLIC SAFETY NEWSLETTER 5

2018-2019 NOVA Police Training

NOVA Police conduct an active community outreach program. The following topics are available for presentation to faculty, students, clubs and staff. If there are additional topics you would like presented in your class, please contact Lt. John Weinstein at jweinstein@nvcc.edu.

Topics:

Active Shooter Response

Dealing with Difficult People

Creating and Maintaining a Safe Classroom Environment

Staying Safe on the Street/Self-Defense Considerations

Alcohol/DUI Awareness

Recognizing/Reporting Suspicious Behavior

Crimes Against Women/Human Trafficking

Staying Safe While Using Uber and Lyft

Identity Protection

Technology and Policing

Empower Yourself to be Safe!

Writing in the Workplace

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Police (But Were Afraid to Ask)

Strategic Planning

Download the LiveSafe Mobile Safety App

The LifeSafe Mobile Safety app, available for free to all NOVA faculty, students, staff and their friends, is a powerful tool that can empower you to stay safe, keep your campus safe, put potentially life-saving information at your fingertips,and facilitate timely interaction with NOVA Police and OEMS professionals in the event of an emergency or need for assistance. Download LiveSafe at iTunes or Google Play. It is easy and fast. Go to www.LiveSafeMobile.com to download this great app.