MSJ Police Department and Public Safety

MISSION AND VISION

Mount St. Joseph University is committed to the safety and security of the MSJ community and compliance with Higher Education Amendments of 1998 and 2000, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), and the Campus Sexual Violence Act (“SaVE Act”) provision of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), Collins Law, and other applicable federal and state laws.

The Mount St. Joseph Police Department is a commissioned law enforcement agency by the State of Ohio, that operates under ORC 1713.50 and is in charge of the safety and security of all University students, employees, and visitors. You can find the MSJ Police Department on the Ground Floor of the Seton Center (to the left of Market C). The MSJ Police Department is available 24 hours, 365 days a year and has an Officer assigned to the Seton Lobby front desk at all times to answer any incoming calls both emergency and non-emergency.

The MSJ Chief of Police, Kevin Koo, is also MSJ’s Clery Act Designee and can be contacted at 513-244-4226 or kevin.koo@msj.edu. 

REPORTING NON-EMERGENCIES AND UNIVERSITY POLICY VIOLATIONS

MSJ encourages the reporting of all alleged violations of MSJ policies and possible non-emergent crimes and provides several ways for individuals to make reports:

1) Direct Reporting

• Possible non-emergent crimes and possible University policy violations must be reported to the MSJ Police Department by dialing “0,” 4200, extension 4226 from any campus phone, or by calling 513-244-4226.
• Possible sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, or interpersonal violence- report alleged violations of the MSJ Title IX Sex Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence Policy one of the following ways:
  • By submitting an electronic Title IX report by completing this form: Title IX Report Form; or,
  • By making a report to the University’s Vice President of Compliance, Risk, and Legal Affairs/Title IX Coordinator, Paige Ellerman, who can be contacted at 513-244-4393, paige.ellerman@msj.edu. You can access the Title IX page here. 
• Possible discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, or other legally protected statuses, including discrimination in public accommodations- report alleged violations of the MSJ Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy contacting the Chief Human Resource Officer, Teri Compton, who can be reached at teri.compton@msj.edu or 513-244-4979.
• Possible violations of student academic or residence life accommodation policies -report an alleged failure of MSJ to provide a student with an academic or resident life accommodation under the Student Disability Accommodation Policy and Grievance Procedure:
  • For information about accommodations available under this policy, please call 513-244-4623 to speak with the Student Accessibility Services Specialist (the "Specialist") or email studentaccessibilityservices@msj.edu 
  • By timely submitting a formal grievance to the Associate Provost for Academics, Dr. Christa Currie, who can be contacted at christa.currie@msj.edu or at 513-244-4614.
• Possible Student Handbook Violations- report alleged violations of the MSJ Student Handbook to the Dean of Students, Janet Cox, who can be reached at janet.cox@msj.edu or at 513-244-4466.

2) Anonymous Reporting

• 244-TIPS
  • Anonymous reports of any possible non-emergent crime and any possible University policy violation can be made by calling or texting 513-244-TIPS or emailing 244TIPS@msj.edu, the University’s anonymous reporting resource.
  • This ‘tip” line was developed to promote the welfare of the campus community through an additional reporting source that is anonymous.  Calls and texts to 244-TIPS can be made 24/7.  244-TIPS should not be used to report any emergency.  In all emergencies, continue to call “911” or contact the MSJ Police Department by dialing "0", 4200, extension 4226 from any campus phone, or by calling 513-244-4226.
  • The 244-TIPS anonymous reporting option is not available for MSJ employees regarding possible violations of the Sex Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence Policy or the Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy. All MSJ employees are considered “responsible employees” under Title IX and “campus security authorities” under the Clery Act. Therefore, all MSJ employees have a legal duty to promptly report alleged policy violations directly to the Title IX Coordinator or the Equal Opportunity Officer. All campus security authorities must report all crimes immediately to Campus Police. Failure to report a crime is a chargeable offense Under ORC 2921.22.

3) Anti-Hazing Policy and Reporting Procedures

• The mission of Mount St. Joseph University (the “University”) emphasizes values, integrity and social responsibility. As part of this commitment to a culture of ethical conduct, members of the Mount community embrace respect and concern for all persons. Mount community members bear mutual responsibility for bringing to light any incidents that violate this commitment or community trust. Hazing is a crime, causes physical and emotional harm, and creates an environment where community members feel unsafe. Hazing has no place in the Mount community.
• Any Mount community member who has been the victim of, witnessed, or become aware of any form of hazing must promptly report such conduct to the following offices:
• University Police
  • Located: Ground Floor of the Seton Center
  • Phone: Campus Telephone: Dial "0"
  • Cell Phone: 513-244-4200 for direct access to the MSJ Police Department
  • Dial 911 for emergencies
• Dean of Students
  • Name: Janet Cox
  • Phone: (513) 244-4239
  • Email: janet.cox@msj.edu
• For further information on the policy, please view the MSJ Anti-Hazing Policy and Reporting Procedures document here.

MSJ Fire and Safety Statistics

MSJ reports crime statistics consistent with the requirements of the Jeanne Clery Act and the Department of Education requirements. MSJ also reports fire safety statistics consistent with the requirements of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requirements and the Department of Education. The MSJ crime log and fire statistics are available for review during regular business hours at the MSJ Police Department office, located in the lower level of the Seton Center (to the left of Market C). 

MSJ Disaster, Emergency Response, and Notification Plan

The MSJ Police Department and the MSJ Emergency Response Team review MSJ’s disaster and emergency response protocols and publish the MSJ Disaster, Emergency Response, and Notification Plan annually. All students, employees, and community members are encouraged to review the plan, become familiar with the best practices for remaining safe in any possible emergency or disaster, and to understand MSJ’s notification system for communicating safety issues with the campus community. We also ask that everyone becomes familiar with the posted evacuation plans in each building in case of emergency.

Additional Services and Resources

The MSJ Police Department regularly provides services and resources to keep students, employees, and members of the community safe, which include but are not limited to: 

• Crime Prevention Programs, including, but not limited to A.L.I.C.E. active shooter training and participating in campus safety instructions.
• Issuance of University ID cards and parking permits.
• Fire Safety.
• First Aid.
• Assistance with vehicle trouble.
• 24 hour campus safety escort.

For more information about any of these services and resources, contact the MSJ Police Department by dialing “0”, 4200, extension 4226 from any campus phone, or by calling 513-244-4226.

Disability Services

Having a disability may make it difficult for students to evacuate safely on campus; therefore, the MSJ Campus Police Department has initiated a plan to assist students in knowing what to do in an emergency and how to evacuate the buildings on campus in case of a fire, tornado or other situations that be harmful to our campus.  

Having a plan and efficient implementation may mean the difference between life and death for all on our campus.  We ask that any student with a disability contact the Campus Police Department at 513-244-4226 so we can meet with them to create a safety plan specifically for that individual. We also recommend that everyone on campus, especially those with a disability, download the app Smart911. This app will allow individuals to put important information about themselves in the app, such as medical issues, medications they are taking, if pets are in the dorm room, etc., that can be shared with emergency responders.