The Department of Campus Safety is responsible for providing a safe and secure educational environment where life, safety, and property are protected. Our mission is to provide safety, parking and emergency preparedness services to the Georgia Highlands College community in a professional manner that will provide the College a safe environment that is conducive to education for all who study, work and visit GHC.

The College maintains a force of campus police officers and partnership with Dynamic Security whose duties are integrated to provide crime prevention, emergency services, and parking control/enforcement. Officers are on duty during classroom hours on all campuses. The Department strives to contribute to the academic environment by performing professional safety and security tasks with a positive, service-oriented, and educational approach.

Officers patrol the campuses via marked patrol units and on foot patrol to deter acts of crime, correct safety and security hazards, and to detect and intervene when criminal activity occurs. They respond and follow-up on all reported crimes along with local police officers. In addition to patrol duties, officers investigate traffic accidents, assist in medical emergencies, provide limited motorist assistance, enforce campus parking and traffic regulations, and provide safety support for many campus activities and events. Officers also direct campus emergency management plans and responses. Campus crime statistics are available at https://ope.ed.gov/security/.

The Department maintains a close working relationship with local police, fire and emergency agencies and their members. They come together through meetings, training, and investigative follow-ups. Information is freely shared between local agencies. The Department maintains Mutual Aid Agreements with the Floyd County Police Department, the Rome Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Marietta Police Department, and the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office. The Department also cooperates and coordinates with other local, state, and national campus safety agencies to remain abreast of trends, concerns, and problems affecting college campuses and students.

All Georgia Highlands College faculty, staff, and students must register their vehicle before operating or parking a vehicle on campus. Parking at any GHC location is by valid permit only. Parking permits are available at any Campus Safety Office or online. A complete copy of the parking and traffic regulations is available at https://sites.highlands.edu/campuspolice/traffic- information/.

Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act

The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act requires convicted sex offenders to provide notice of enrollment or employment at any institution of higher learning where that offender resides. This information is available through local/state law enforcement agencies to institutions of higher learning.

The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act amends Section 170101 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14071) by the following:

Notice of Enrollment at or Employment by Institutions of Higher Education

  1. Notice to Offenders
    1. In general – In addition to any other requirements of this section, any person who is required to register in a State shall provide notice as required under State law.
      1. of each institution of higher education in that State at which the person is employed, carries on a vocation, or is a student; and
      2. Of each change in enrollment of employment statutes of such a person at an institution of higher education in that State.

Georgia Highlands College is required to provide and issue a statement where information concerning registered sex offenders can be obtained. The language relating to this information is as follows: “A statement advising the campus community where law enforcement agency information provided by a State concerning registered sex offender may be obtained, such law enforcement office of the institution, a local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction for the campus, or a computer network address.” 20 U.S.C. 1092 (f)(1)(I)

This act amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, by stating nothing in the Act will prohibit the educational institution from disclosing information provided to the institution concerning registered sex offenders.

Any student, faculty or staff member desiring to obtain information on registered sex offenders in Georgia may go to the following website: Georgia Bureau of Investigation, https://www.gbi.georgia.gov/

Crime and Safety Report

In compliance with Title IV, Georgia Highlands College publishes a safety report that includes crime statistics for all campus centers each year. The report is distributed to students and employees by October 1 of each year and posted on the campus police webpage: https://sites.highlands.edu/campuspolice/annual-security-reports/ Additionally, GHC has created detailed emergency plans and regularly conducts exercises to handle a variety of situations.