SWAG��Ƶ

is provided to members of the University community in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. This federal requirement mandates institutions of higher education to issue a statement, in addition to other disclosures required under that Act, advising the campus community where law enforcement agency information may be found provided by a State concerning registered sex offenders.

Friday, February 2 , 2024, 9:30 A.M.

SWAG��Ƶ Test ALERT

SWAG��Ƶ Alerts Test Alert. This is only a test.

Thursday, October 26, 2023, 6:37 A.M.

SWAG��Ƶ CLOSED TODAY

SWAG��Ƶ is closed today October 26, 2023 due to the Lewiston mass casualty event. Please monitor SWAG��Ƶ emails for further updates.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023, 8 A.M.

SWAG��Ƶ Test ALERT

SWAG��Ƶ Alerts Test Alert. This is only a test.

Thursday, September 22, 2022, 9:04 A.M.

SWAG��Ƶ Emergency Notification Test

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Community,

The Office of Safety and Security, in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Information Technology Services, has scheduled a test of the emergency notification system for Friday, September 23 at 9 a.m.

During this test, you will receive messages through an automated phone call, email, and text message if you have opted to receive emergency messages as well as snow/weather closures/delays and other alerts through U-Online. If you have added a secondary contact person, that person will also receive the same test notification. Please make sure they are aware that the system is being tested.

As a reminder, these emergency notifications are extremely important as they will be sent when there is an ongoing danger to the community, with some examples being lockdowns for an active threat, gas leaks, explosions, bomb threats, and weather catastrophes.

To ensure that you receive these messages, please sign into your U-Online account, select “Personal Information and Settings," and choose the “SWAG��Ƶ Alert Notification” option. In this section, you will be able to enter any phone numbers or e-mail addresses you wish to have emergency and school closure/delay alerts sent. We highly encourage you to sign up for these notifications if you have not done so yet.

This new emergency notification system includes the free Rave-Guardian mobile safety app for smartphones, which is now available. By downloading this free safety app, students and employees will be able to enhance their personal safety both on and off campus.

Thursday, May 26, 2022, 4 P.M.

SWAG��Ƶ Test ALERT

SWAG��Ƶ Alerts Test Alert. This is only a test.

Thursday, May 19, 2022, 2 P.M.

SWAG��Ƶ Test ALERT

SWAG��Ƶ Alerts Test Alert. This is only a test.

Wednesday, December 22, 2021, 5:34 A.M.

SWAG��Ƶ COMMUNITY Alert Test

System test for snow closures.

Thursday, November 13, 2021, 6:49 P.M.

SWAG��Ƶ System Test

System test for emergency notifications.

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Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Community,

We are aware of an ongoing police investigation involving a shooting incident that occurred last night in the Morrill’s Corner section of Portland, a short distance from the Portland Campus for the Health Sciences. 

The University has been in direct communication with Portland Police, who have informed us that there is no threat to our campus community. Based on the information available and our consultation with law enforcement, the Portland Campus will be open with classes held on a normal schedule on Wednesday, July 31.

The Morrill’s Corner intersection could still be closed, so please take this into consideration if you are traveling to the Portland Campus. 

Safety and Security will be adding extra staffing on the Portland Campus to provide patrols while the Portland Police investigation is still ongoing. 

If the situation changes, we will follow up with additional information. If you have questions or require immediate assistance, please contact Safety and Security at (207) 602-2298.

Friday, January 12, 2024

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Community,

Please see the below message from the City of Biddeford regarding the upcoming storm and concerns for flooding in the Biddeford coastal community.  If you know anyone that lives in this coastal community please share this information with them.  Thank you!

As you all know, tomorrow will be the second coastal flooding event in three days. Coastal Biddeford sustained a lot of damage with Wednesdays event and its anticipated there will be more with Saturdays event. I’m asking you to please distribute this email to your coastal neighbors.

The City will closing all streets leading down to the coastal area. We are asking for people not to drive around the barricades. List of closures below:

• Hills Beach at Breakwater
• Bridge road at the intersection of old pool
• Maddox Pond at Pool
• Elizabeth at Pool
• Fortunes rocks at Pool
• Granit Point at Pool

The City is also asking if folks want to leave their home, that do so before 9:00 am. A return time should not be sooner than 3:00 pm

The City of Biddeford is recommending that if you live on the ocean and you have experienced coastal flooding on your property in the past, you should consider vacating the property for this event.

This event could bypass the February 1978 Blizzard and that is alarming to me.

It’s vital to understand, that if you choose to stay in your home and you need public safety assistance, that assistance maybe delayed or even unavailable based on the weather conditions.

Please visit with neighbors/ family and friends until the tides subside.

If you experience any off campus emergencies and need assistance please contact 911.  If you experience any on campus emergencies, please contact Safety & Security at (207) 283-0176 or call 911.  Thank you!

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Community,

Portland Police are warning citizens of a male who approached young women in the Stevens Avenue area on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.  The first incident occurred around 3:30pm near Evergreen Cemetery on Stevens Avenue.  The second incident occurred at approximately 6:30pm near Deering High School.  In both incidents, a male in his 20s approached female students and made inappropriate statements towards them.  Please use good caution and always be aware of your surroundings.  Report any sightings to Portland Police at 207-874-8575.

As a reminder, the non-emergency line to contact SWAG��Ƶ Safety & Security is 207-602-2298 and the emergency line is 207-283-0176.  Thank you!

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Community,

We are aware of and are monitoring the mass casualty incident continuing to unfold in Lewiston, Maine this evening.

There is no indication of any threat to SWAG��Ƶ’s campuses at this time. While Lewiston is more than an hour from the Biddeford campus and 45 minutes away from Portland, Maine is a small state and we know that members of our community will be directly affected. We are actively checking in with students, faculty, and professional staff who live in the Lewiston area to ensure their well being.

If you are a Portland or Biddeford campus-affiliated student and are currently experiencing a mental health crisis, you can reach SWAG��Ƶ’s on-call counselor by calling (207) 602-2549  and then pressing 6. Faculty and professional staff can find support through the Employee Assistance Program: /hr/benefits/employee-assistance-program

If you need any assistance overnight, contact Safety and Security at 207-602-2298.

We will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with local authorities and will provide updates as needed.

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Residential Community,

The Office of Safety and Security and the Division of Student Affairs would like to offer an update on the recent events concerning two non-SWAG��Ƶ persons on campus. We recognize their behaviors was concerning to many and we thank you for your help in reporting this information and helping us make contact with them.

The two males were not affiliated with SWAG��Ƶ in any way and Security was able to identify and interview both. Both subjects are now being banned from SWAG��Ƶ property and will not be permitted back on campus. If you are familiar with the two persons in questions and see them back on campus, please immediately report this to Safety and Security.

We would like to use this opportunity to also offer some safety tips for the community with helping keep everyone safe:

• Residential Hall Safety
  • Entrance doors to all residence halls are locked 24/7. Do not place items in a position where they block open residence hall entrance doors, doors marked as fire doors, or any window exits.
  • Lock your door whenever you leave your room, no matter how short the time. It only takes a few seconds for your belongings to disappear. The same rule applies whenever you or your roommate are sleeping or even taking short trips to the restroom.
  • Do not leave notes on your door or dry erase board stating that no one is home or posting your daily routine.
  • Report missing keys or broken locks to residence staff or Campus Safety and Security immediately.
  • Notify residence staff and Campus Safety and Security immediately if you receive obscene or harassing telephone calls.
  • Notify Campus Safety and Security in the event of unauthorized room entry. Do not touch anything as you may disturb evidence.
  • Do not allow anyone you don’t know into a residence hall. Report all suspicious persons and vehicles to Campus Safety and Security.
  • Watch out for each other. Remember that residents are responsible for their guests’ safety and behavior.
• Social Media Safety
  • Use caution when using social media to interact with unknown persons. SWAG��Ƶ is an open campus and we encourage students to not share their location or daily habits with people you are still unfamiliar with.
  • Know how to report, block, and filter content.
  • Personalize your privacy settings.
  • Pause before you post.
  • Turn off geolocation.
  • Use a private internet connection.
  • Report harassment or inappropriate content.
  • Look before you click.
  • Pick strong passwords and change them frequently.
• Uber/Lyft Safety
  • Request your ride inside.
  • Check your ride.
  • Have the driver confirm your name.
  • Be a back-seat rider.
  • Always wear your seat belt.
  • Share your trip details with loved ones.
  • Protect your personal information.
  • Follow your intuition.
• Safety and Security dispatch is on duty 24-7 and can be reached at the following:
  • Non-Emergency:  (207) 602-2298
  • Emergency:  (207) 283-0176
    • Ext. 366 from any campus phone
    • Via the Rave/Guardian app for smart phones.  We strongly encourage all members of the SWAG��Ƶ Community to download this app. 

Stay safe,

Jeffrey J. Greene
Director of Safety and Security

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Community,

Please see the attached (below) community notice from Portland Police Department. Please remain vigilant and stay aware of your surroundings if you are walking in the areas mentioned below. Due to the close location of Baxter Woods to the Portland Campus, and trails being in the Evergreen Cemetery, we wanted to share this information. Please report any information to Portland PD at the contact information in the notice. Thank you!

Over the last week, there have been at least four calls made to Portland Police for a male exposing himself and exhibiting lewd behavior in area parks and trails. There have been two incidents reported at Capisic Pond Trail and two incidents at Baxter Woods.

In several instances, the suspect has followed women despite the victims yelling or even getting out their phone to record him.

Officers have been increasing patrols in these areas and providing special attention checks as they continue to investigate these incidents.

Please keep an eye out and stay aware of your surroundings. The Portland Police Department is asking anyone who may have witnessed these kinds of incidents to call us at (207) 874-8575. Anyone with photos or videos of these incidents can provide them anonymously by texting our Crime Tip Line by texting keyword "PPDME" to 847411 (TIP411). Callers can also provide information anonymously by calling (207) 874-8584.

Friday, November 5, 2021

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Community,

The Office of Safety and Security and Parkhurst Dining would like to share with our community that we have been experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of food and beverage thefts from the cafes on the Biddeford Campus. 

We would like to remind everyone that not only is theft a Student Conduct referral on campus but that it is also a criminal offense in the State of Maine and this behavior is not acceptable at the SWAG��Ƶ. 

Please be vigilant when you are in the Windward Café, ACHS Café, and Forum Café and if you observe any theft or suspicious behavior, report it immediately to Safety and Security at (207) 602-2298.

We have taken steps to enhance security in these spaces and we will be monitoring these spaces in person and via CCTV in hopes of gaining voluntary compliance with paying for any items taken. 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Stay safe,

Jeffrey J. Greene
Director of Safety and Security

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Dear SWAG��Ƶ Community,

A series of burglaries occurred at the residence of one of our SWAG��Ƶ community members in the Hills Beach area within the past couple of weeks. The community member did the right thing by having the doors locked and calling the police immediately. A suspect has been arrested and charged by local police, and we do not have reason to believe that this incident is part of a larger effort by the suspect or others. Nevertheless, the Office of Safety and Security would like to send some information to all of you on ways to keep yourself safe and enhance your situational awareness. Please consider some of the following recommendations:
 

• Lock the doors to your home and vehicle. Many people in Maine do not do that, but we urge you to take that precaution.
• Do not leave spare keys to your home or vehicle outside where someone can locate them.
• Be mindful of your surroundings at all times. Each time you enter a new environment, take a moment to identify objects in your immediate area. Taking a few seconds to acknowledge these items around you is a crucial step in developing a mindful attitude. 
• Notice other people. It is important to detect and observe others around you. Keep an eye out for people who seem to be acting outside of the norm. The ability to detect inconsistencies or distress in other people can allow you to anticipate dangerous situations, giving you an opportunity to respond in the most effective way possible. Individuals to monitor could include strangers to your neighborhood or location, solicitors in the area, and other persons such as delivery drivers.
• Remain vigilant. Situational awareness can initially feel exhausting to sustain, but maintaining an attentive mindset will eventually become a habit that requires no effort. One way to increase vigilance is to put your phone down or remove your earbuds to enhance your ability to notice your surroundings. If you are walking in a dimly lit location or in an unfamiliar public place while staring at your phone, you are sacrificing your situational awareness and could make yourself a target. 
• Trust yourself. It can be easy to second guess your gut feelings, but learning to trust yourself is an important tenant of self-defense and situational awareness. Your internal reactions can be a key element in pointing out danger, so don’t ignore your intuition. 
• If you feel in danger, contact 911 and inform local law enforcement of your exact location and what your concerns are. If you are on campus, you can contact Safety and Security directly at (207) 602-2298 or push the button on any blue light call box to connect directly to the security dispatch center.

Jeffrey J. Greene
Director of Safety and Security

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