Crime Prevention

Roger Williams University continually promotes and sponsors programs designed to educate students and staff regarding campus crime prevention and safety. These programs encourage personal safety first and emphasize interaction and communication to enhance the Department of Public Safety’s community policing approach to campus safety.

  • The University has established a Safety Committee to assist in reviewing, recommending and implementing policies, procedures and practices to promote campus safety. The committee reviews such things as lighting surveys and occupational safety hazards.
  • During summer orientation, students and family members meet with the Director of Public Safety who discusses safety resources, including downloading the Rave Guardian application.
  • Residential and commuter students are provided "safety checklists" annually, containing material advising them of precautions to help avoid becoming a victim of a crime on or off campus.
  • During Welcome Week, first year students attend Health and Safety training sessions conducted by Public Safety, Health Services, Title IX, Environmental Health and Safety, Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, and Alcohol and Other Drug Education.
  • Emergency evacuation training, including active intruder training, is completed for first year students and made available for returning students and all employees.
  • Staff and faculty members are provided with public safety information at new employee orientation, held once monthly.
  • Crime prevention information and personal safety programs are presented throughout the year as a means to promote an overall and ongoing public safety awareness campaign.
  • The RWU Crime Prevention tipline is (401) 254-3212 and the email is crimeprevention@rwu.edu.

 

To register property:

  • Download the Property Registration Form to your computer.
  • right-click on the link and select "Save Link As..." or "Save Target As..."
  • Save the file as your University e-mail address + Form. ex: jsmith123form1.doc
  • Fill out the form and save.  
  • E-mail the form as an attachment to the following address: CrimePrevention@rwu.edu

Note: If you are registering more than three (3) items, you can submit the form again with the extra items. ex: jsmith123form2.doc

Property Registration Form

Staying Safe

Protect Yourself in the Residence Halls
  • Always lock your door, even when you intend to return shortly or you are just going down the hall. It takes a thief seconds to enter an open room and steal your property.
  • Lock or secure doors and windows when you are alone or asleep.
  • Do not prop open outer doors.
  • Do not allow strangers to enter premises.
  • If someone asks to use your cell phone for an emergency call, offer to make the call for them instead of allowing them access.
  • Save emergency numbers in your cell phone.
  • Do not leave messages on your door indicating you are away and/or when you will return.
  • Do not put your address on your key ring.
  • Do not leave keys in hiding places. Thieves will find them.
  • On campus, call Public Safety (401) 254-3333 to report suspicious activity.
  • Off campus, call 911. Immediately give the dispatcher your location. Then give the nature of the emergency. If possible, stay on the line until help arrives or the dispatcher terminates the call.
  • Keep automatic teller machine (ATM) cards in a safe place. Never reveal your personal identification number to anybody, particularly anyone who purports to be a bank employee conducting a security survey. Never loan your ATM card to anyone. When possible, only use ATMs during the day. If you need to bank at night, use a machine in a well-lighted area, such as a shopping mall or supermarket.
Protect Yourself When Walking
  • Avoid walking alone at night unless absolutely necessary.
  • Walk in well lit, commonly traveled routes. Avoid shortcuts and dark, isolated areas.
  • If you feel threatened, cross the street, enter a business establishment, or otherwise seek the safety of having other persons around you. Trust your instincts: if someone or something makes you uneasy, you are probably correct.
  • Walk purposefully; know where you are going.
  • Constantly maintain awareness of your surroundings. Avoid potentially dangerous situations.
  • Have your door keys ready; carry them in your hand or pocket.
  • Avoid giving directions to persons in motor vehicles. If you feel you must, do not approach the vehicle closely. Speak from a distance and be prepared to flee in the opposite direction if necessary.
  • Public Safety provides on-campus courtesy transports

Phishing is a high-tech variation of an old scam that tricks people into providing a malicious person with information such as their social security number, credit card numbers, passwords, or bank account information.

Tips for a “Spoof-Proof Life”
  • Be suspicious of emails that don’t greet you by name.
  • Don’t reply to email, texts or pop-up messages asking for personal or financial information.
  • Don’t send personal or financial information via email.
  • Don’t open attachments from unknown senders.
  • Look for “https:” in the URLs of sites when you are shopping online. The “s” stands for “secure”.
  • If you see a “@” symbol, it is probably a phishing site.
  • Maintain up-to-date firewalls and security patches on your computer.
  • Review credit card and bank statements to check for unauthorized charges.
  • Forward phishing emails to spam
  • If your information is compromised, get a fraud alert placed on your credit report and visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft website.
Preventing Crime

While the Department of Public Safety is responsible for ensuring that our campus is as safe as possible, the primary responsibility for crime prevention and personal safety rests with each individual.

Voice Your Concerns About Crime and Potential Safety Problems

Do not wait until crimes occur or problems get out of control. Contact Public Safety to report problems or suspicious activity (401) 254-3333.

Report Crimes and Provide Information about Crimes and Suspicious Activities

While on campus, call Public Safety at (401) 254-3333 to report ANY suspicious activity or criminal incidents. To report criminal incidents off campus, call 911. Accurate and timely reports of emergencies or suspicious incidents will assist Public Safety and or the Police in a quick and effective response.
When you call, please remain calm and speak clearly. Stay on the phone until the police dispatcher has all the information needed.

Report Other Problems and Incidents

The Roger Williams University Department of Public Safety will assist with all problems brought to its attention and will help address the problem with the appropriate University department or government agency.

Seek Help with Personal Concerns

If you or someone else has a personal problem you need support with, we encourage you to seek help before the problem causes further difficulties. The Counseling Center is a good place to start and can be contacted at (401) 254-3124 or contact the on call Coordinator through Public Safety after hours at (401)-254-3333.