SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE GUARANTEE

The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety has adopted the MSU Police Sexual Assault Response Guarantee, which states:

Sexual assaults, including date/acquaintance rape, are a very serious concern of the University. If you feel you are the victim of a sexual assault on campus, your MSU Police Department will guarantee you the following:

1. We will meet with you privately, at a place of your choice in this area, to take a complaint report.
2. We will not release your name to the public or to the press.
3. Our officers will not prejudge you, and you will not be blamed for what occurred.
4. We will treat you and your particular case with courtesy, sensitivity, dignity, understanding and professionalism.
5. If you feel more comfortable talking with a female or male officer, we will do our best to accommodate your request.
6. We will assist you in arranging for any hospital treatment or other medical needs.
7. We will assist you in privately contacting counseling, safety, advising and other available resources.
8. We will fully investigate your case, and will help you to achieve the best outcome. This may involve the arrest and full prosecution of the suspect responsible. You will be kept up-to-date on the progress of the investigation and/or prosecution.
9. We will continue to be available for you, to answer your questions, to explain the systems and processes involved (prosecutor, courts, etc.), and to be a listening ear if you wish.
10. We will consider your case seriously regardless of your gender or sexual orientation, and regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of the suspect.

If you feel you are a sexual assault victim, call the MSU Police Department at 355-2221, and say you want to privately make a sexual assault complaint. You may call any time of day or night.

If we fail to achieve any part of the above guarantee, the Chief of Police, Jim Dunlap, will meet with you personally to address any problems. The MSU Police want to help you make the MSU campus safe for students, faculty, staff and visitors.

ETHICAL GUARANTEE

MSU Police members have developed this Ethical Guarantee to guide our actions and to inform our community. This Guarantee will be distributed throughout campus. A large poster version, signed by all Department members, will be displayed in the police station lobby.

"Because we are bonded by the diversity of different nationalities, languages and backgrounds, the following principles will provide an ethical guide for all members of the Department of Police and Public Safety (MSU Police). As a basis of promoting good will, trust, confidence and cooperation between the citizens of the Michigan State University community and all members of MSU Police, as well as adhering to the Department's Values, Mission and Focus, the following "Ethical Guarantee" is submitted:

• We, as MSU Police members, will continue to prioritize the protection of life and property for all citizens. However, the members of this Department will not utilize characteristics such as race, color, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender, disability or religion as the sole or primary justification for contact and/or enforcement action. For example, traffic stops based solely on race are not acceptable, and will not be tolerated.
• We will strive to achieve diversity in the Department that will reflect the community we serve.
• We acknowledge individuality by striving to treat everyone with dignity and respect while striving to maintain effective and positive communications.
• We have a sense of personal obligation to every citizen, and we will conduct all citizen contacts with courtesy, excellence and compassion. We also recognize that each interaction is a separate and unique situation, and it will not be based on prejudice, discrimination or bias.
• We will strive to achieve the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. We also acknowledge that courtesy and excellence are achieved through people, and we will utilize hiring, training, technology, community input and innovation to achieve these goals.
• We will make decisions in the light of what is right, rather than what is expedient in a given situation.
• We will actively seek out and listen to the needs and concerns of the MSU community and its citizens.
• We will continually plan for the future so that we can control our destiny without letting society's challenges overwhelm us.
• As individuals and as a Department, we will endeavor to uphold these ethical standards so that we may be respected and trusted by the community we serve."

The MSU Department of Police and Public Safety wants to help our community make the MSU campus friendly, safe, welcome and orderly for all students, faculty, staff and visitors. Should you have any questions relating to our "Ethical Guarantee", a supervisor of this Department (355-2222) will be available to personally address any of your concerns.

NO RACIAL PROFILING

QUESTION:
What is racial profiling?

ANSWER:
"Racial profiling" is the Police practice of stopping individuals as possible criminal suspects solely because of their race or ethnic background.

QUESTION:
What isn't racial profiling?

ANSWER:
Part of our responsibility as MSU Police officers is to enforce the laws of the Michigan motor vehicle code. Within any given day, the MSU Police force makes numerous traffic stops for violations of this code. If an officer stops a vehicle for a law violation and the driver happens to be a minority, this is not racial profiling.

Occasionally, officers are seeking to detain, apprehend or otherwise be on the lookout for a specific suspect sought in connection with a specific crime who has been described, in part, by race or ethnicity.

It is not racial profiling if an officer contacts an individual who matches the description and relies, in part, on race or ethnicity in determining whether reasonable suspicion exists that the individual is the person being sought.

QUESTION:
What is the stance of the MSU Police on racial profiling/DWB (driving while black/brown)?

ANSWER:
The MSU Police department realizes that racial profiling is a serious Police-community issue across America. We do not support and will not practice or tolerate racial profiling in our operations.

Racial profiling has an effect of deterioration of public trust in law enforcement. The MSU Police department realizes that public trust in Police is essential to effective community policing, and we are taking steps to strengthen our relationship with the minority community at Michigan state university.

The MSU Police department is committed to courtesy and excellence. In order to provide Police services which personify these values, we must take conscious and continual measures in order to identify and eliminate potential barriers to the unbiased implementation of our Police powers.

The MSU Police department recognizes that no person should be targeted by law enforcement because of characteristics such as race, color, nationality, age sexual orientation, gender, disability or religion. Our officers will continue to take positive steps toward gaining trust with our community and guarding against racial profiling as a basis for stopping individuals.

QUESTION:
How can I access the information on, "what should I do if I am stopped by the Police?"

ANSWER:
You can contact one of the 8 community Police officers located throughout the campus community to obtain one of the brochures. You may also retrieve a copy by visiting our Police department.

QUESTION:
What should I do if I feel I'm the subject of racial profiling?

ANSWER:
If the incident in question involves an MSU Police officer, there are several ways in which to file a citizens complaint:

1. We encourage you to come to our department to meet with a supervisor to file a citizen complaint. The appropriate supervisor will take the initial information and shall, without delay, make a preliminary report to the proper division captain.

2. If you are not comfortable coming into the department you may notify us by mail or by telephone regarding incident. Click here for address and telephone information. Please be as descriptive as possible and if the complaint is by mail be sure to include your name and phone number so that a supervisor may contact you with any questions or updates.

3. You may also utilize this website to file a citizen's complaint. Follow this link.

4. The MSU community also may use the Public Safety Oversight Committee. This is an impartial body through which a citizen can make a complaint about the actions of an MSU Police officer. You can contact them at 517-432-2256.

5. You may also contact the local chapter of the NAACP at 517-484-9171, or the ACLU at 517-484-3176

What to do if I'm stopped by the police?

If a police officer stops you on the street, he or she probably has a reason. The officer may suspect that you are in violation of a law. It’s also possible that a crime was committed nearby and the officer thinks that you might be able to help.

In any case, DON’T RUN from the officer. Be calm. LISTEN. Find out what the officer wants. Don’t assume that you know the reason that you are being stopped. Provide identification if you are asked. It’s best if you can be cooperative. Please, DON’T SAY ANYTHING THAT IS NOT TRUTHFUL. This will only make matters worse and you may end up causing further problems for yourself or the officer. In any circumstance, you certainly have the right to ask questions of the officer. But in doing so, please remain calm. Yelling and threatening an officer will only make a situation more difficult.

What Should I Do If I’m Pulled Over In My Car?

If you are driving a car and an officer signals you to stop, whether in a patrol car, bicycle or on foot, you must pull over.

Stay in your vehicle and if it’s dark, turn on the interior light. If you leave your vehicle, you subject yourself and the officer to the dangers of passing traffic.

Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Wait for the officer to approach your vehicle. The officer will request your license, registration and proof of insurance.

We, as police officers, are trained to ask for identification first, and to provide an explanation for the stop second. Provide the officer with the required documents. Then, give the officer a chance to explain why he or she stopped you. Moving violations are the most common reason for stopping a vehicle. However, you may also have been stopped for a registration or equipment violation. A criminal investigation may be another reason for being stopped. Your vehicle may match the description of a vehicle that was involved in a crime.

Remember, in most cases the officer will be in uniform with proper identification. You know who you are dealing with, we don’t.

At some point during the stop, the officer may ask you and any passengers to step from the vehicle. This request may be for safety reasons, or the officer may suspect the presence of illegal contraband in the car. The courts have upheld an officer’s right to make such a request.

Finally, if you don’t agree with a citation, don’t argue at the scene. All citizens have the right to contest a citation before a judge or magistrate. This doesn’t require the service of an attorney and the time involved is often minimal.

Frequently Asked Questions reference being stopped by police:

Q. Why does the officer ask for identification first?

A. The officer is trained to do so. Remember, you have the advantage of knowing with whom you are dealing. We don’t.

Q. When a car is stopped, it appears that the officer is “sneaking up” on the driver. At night, the officers shine their lights into the car. Why is that?

A. Again, officers are trained to minimize their exposure to traffic and to potential danger from within the vehicle. At night, the bright light illuminates the interior of the vehicle which is another safety consideration for the officer.

Q. If I’ve only been pulled over for a traffic offense, why do other police cars show up?

A. It is not uncommon for officers who are in close proximity to back each other up, even if they aren’t requested.

Q. Why does the officer sit in the car for so long? What are they doing?

A. While it may seem as if the officer has you stopped for a long time, in reality, it’s only for a few minutes. Technology now allows an officer to verify your driving status and check your registration directly from the patrol car. This is accomplished through one, statewide computer system.