The Department of Public Safety is located at 125 South Main Street located between Admissions (Emma Willard House) and Hesselgrave House. The general business phone numbers are 443-5911 or 443-5133.
To address the security needs of Middlebury College, the Department of Public Safety provides a uniformed security staff 24 hours a day. The department maintains regular foot and cruiser patrol of campus and responds to emergencies. The Department of Public Safety reports to the Dean of Student Affairs. The department's staff includes the Director of Public Safety, an Assistant Director of Public Safety for Administration, an Assistant Director for Patrol Operations, Museum and Communications Center Manager, Night Sergeant (patrol supervisor), eleven (11) full time officers, six (6) full time telecommunicators, two (2) part-time telecommunicators, and four (4) spare telecommunicators. There is additional departmental staff assigned exclusively to the Art Museum. This staff consists of four (4) part time museum monitors.
Public Safety Officers do not have powers of arrest but work closely with local law enforcement agencies. Incidents of crime are documented and the reports are filed with the appropriate agency. Investigations are managed cooperatively. When arrests must be conducted on campus they are executed by the appropriate agency with the full cooperation and assistance of the Department of Public Safety. Local law enforcement agencies include:
· Middlebury Police Department 802-388-3191
· Vermont State Police 802-388-4919
· The State’s Attorney of Addison County 802-388-7931
· Addison County Sheriff’s Office 802-388-2981
· State of Vermont Department of Liquor Control 802-483-6384
Middlebury College Department of Public Safety works closely with Middlebury Police Department to uphold a community policing model of security. The Middlebury Police Department readily provides DPS with training in the areas of traffic enforcement, special equipment use, local ordinance enforcement and other areas of mutual interest or concern.
The DPS maintains two fully equipped patrol vehicles. One of the vehicles is a Ford Escape Hybrid. Through the use of these cruisers, foot patrol and seasonal bike patrol, officers maintain continual patrol through the College’s buildings and grounds. All officers carry radios and are CPR, First Aid and Automated External Defibrillator certified. The officers attend workshops and training seminars relevant to campus security and safety. These training sessions are provided by professionals in the fields of security, law enforcement, and emergency medical response. Additionally, many of the staff at the Department of Public Safety have extensive prior experience in law enforcement, safety, security work, emergency medical and fire response. One officer is also a current member of a local volunteer emergency medical and a local fire department.
Public Safety officers are often the first responder for assistance in reports of fire, medical emergencies and criminal activity. Fire alarm and intrusion alarm signals are received at the telecommunications center through a computerized alarm processing system. Middlebury College has an enhanced 911 system. This allows for emergency calls from the campus telephone system to be sent directly to the Vermont statewide 911 service. Details regarding the use of the 911 system appear in the Reporting Emergencies, Crime and Suspicious Activity section of this handbook.
Routine calls to the Department of Public Safety should be made to the general business line, 443-5911. This number is answered at the dispatch center and may also be reached by simply dialing the last four digits, 5911, from any campus extension. All calls originating on campus and received at the telecommunication center indicate the phone number from which the call was initiated.