About Us

Daily Crime Log

Campus Security Report

Wellesley OneCard

Parking Management

Escort Program

Crime Prevention

Explanatory text

About Us

Location
History
Purpose
Training
Services
Staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Police Department, located in the Davis Parking Facility, is open 24 hours per day, 365 days each year. The telephone number for Emergency calls is extension 5555 (off campus: 781-283-5555); the telephone number for routine business is extension 2121 (off campus: 781-283-2121).

History
The Wellesley College Police Department is a full-service public safety agency serving the Wellesley College community.

The department is part of the Administration and Community Affairs Division that includes several other support departments on campus. Other departments within this division include Auxiliary Services, Housing and Transportation, Environmental Health and Safety, Food Services, and the College Club. The Chief of Police reports directly to the Assistant Vice President for Administration and Community Affairs.

The Department became a police agency in 1975. Under the leadership of then Chief of Police Barry Monahan. The College decided that a department with fully sworn police officers could best serve the members of the Wellesley College community.

As the College evolved into one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the nation, the department has also changed to meet the challenges of serving the community. Under the current leadership of Chief Lisa J. Barbin, the department continues to actively engage in designing systems and processes to meet community expectations and professional campus law enforcement standards.

Our Purpose, Values, and Priorities
We are dedicated to preventing, deterring, and responding to crime, disorder, and the fear of crime in the Wellesley College community. We provide leadership by serving as role models, educators, community partners, and problem solvers. We value open communication with all community members and welcome and encourage continuous feedback.

We constantly strive to improve our services and commit to implementing innovative approaches to addressing community concerns and meeting community expectations. We care about one another and recognize and respect the importance of individual growth.

The values of Integrity, Respect, and Service guide us as we work to fulfill this important purpose.

Training
All Wellesley College Police Officers are fully sworn special state police officers in accordance with Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 22c, section 63. As such, the officers have the same authority as other police officers in the State of Massachusetts, when they are operating on property owned or controlled by Wellesley College. Additionally, officers are also granted police authority from the Town of Wellesley. This authority allows Wellesley College Police Officers to exercise police authority anywhere in the Town of Wellesley. All members of the department receive a variety of training, including basic academy training (approximately 17 weeks), on-the-job training and continuous in-service training. Members also receive specialized training in Sexual Assault Response, Police Mountain Bike Operations, Crime Scene Processing, Critical Incident Response, Community-Oriented Policing, and Emergency Dispatch Operations. All members of the department are highly trained, dedicated, and committed to creating an campus environment where community members can live, learn, and work relatively free from the fear of crime.
Go to the Massachusetts State Police website.

Services
The Wellesley College Police Department offers a full-range of public safety services to the community.

  • Proactive Patrol: Patrol is one of the primary functions of the department. The department’s patrol strategy is designed to:
    • Respond to emergency and non-emergency calls for service in a timely manner;
    • Conduct prevention and other proactive patrol duties;
    • Conduct follow-up investigations and community-oriented activities;
    • Ensure the safety of the campus community and officers
  • Officers patrol the campus and surrounding community on foot, mountain bike, and police cruiser on a 24-hour basis. Generally, there are two police officers assigned to a shift along with one police sergeant. Police sergeants supervise the activities of the police officers and serve as a liaison to the Chief of Police. Individuals with questions concerning the patrol strategy of the department should contact the Chief of Police, Lisa J. Barbin at lbarbin@wellesley.edu.
    •
    • Parking and Traffic Management: The Police Department manages both parking and traffic safety on the Wellesley College campus. To ensure pedestrian safety on campus, we strictly enforce posted speed limits and parking restrictions. Individuals illegally parked on campus face monetary fines, possible towing, and revocation of parking privileges. Individuals exceeding posted speed limits or driving recklessly on campus face College and State of Massachusetts fines. Anyone receiving a parking citation may appeal the citation within 14 days after receiving the ticket. Instructions for appealing parking citations are found on the reverse of the citation. Please refer to http://www.wellesley.edu/Police/parking.html for in-depth information about parking at Wellesley College.
    • Wellesley OneCard: The College issues the Wellesley OneCard to all students, faculty, and staff. The Police Department issues the cards and maintains the access control portion of the system. The multifunction card is an identification card, which authenticates the holder for certain transactions, and an electronic "key", which authorizes access to specific College facilities. The cards can currently be used for:
      • Identification
      • Meal plan transactions
      • Library checkout
      • College facilities access, currently:
        • Residence halls
        • Restricted parking areas
        • Knapp Media Center
        • Sports Center facilities

      Please refer www.wellesley.edu/OneCard/ for in-depth information.

    • Special Event staffing: Wellesley College police officers staff many of the special events held on campus. Police staffing at special events ensures that attendees are able to safely enjoy event activities. Wellesley College police officers are often augmented by Town of Wellesley police officers, police officers from other surrounding towns, or by security officers from private security firms. If you have questions about police staffing at special events, you can call Chief ,Lisa J. Barbin at 781.283.2125 or e-mail her at lbarbin@wellesley.edu.
    • Campus Escort Program: This program provides community members with a shuttle van (pre-designated stops) to preclude individuals from walking alone on campus during the hours of darkness. We encourage community members to freely travel about the campus, but also recommend individuals walk with a friend during evening and early morning hours. When members cannot travel with a friend, we highly recommend taking advantage of the Campus Escort Program.
    • Community-Policing Officer Program (CPOP): This program assigns individual police officers to specific residence halls, residence hall clusters, or small house. The assigned officer serves as the primary point of contact for all crime prevention programming and other issues relating to safety and security. The community-policing officer will conduct regular meetings with the Head of House, residence hall staff members and residents. The officer will also conduct building safety surveys to help create a safe living environment. Please refer to http://www.wellesley.edu/Police/staff.html to find out who is assigned to your residence hall.
    • RAD (Rape Aggression Defense training): This program consists of realistic, self-defense tactics and techniques. RAD is specifically designed for women and teaches awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance. The program progresses to the basics of hands-on self-defense. The department sends out notices when RAD classes will be conducted. Generally, the department will conduct at least two classes each semester. If you have questions regarding when RAD classes will be held, please contact Sergeant Bruce Whitney, at bwhitney@wellesley.edu.
    • Operation Identification (Operation ID). This is a national program that encourages individuals to engrave an identification number on personal property. The engraved number has proven to deter would-be thieves and assist in the recovery of stolen property. The community-policing officer will schedule appointments for engraver training and assistance.
    • New Student Orientation. The department offers a comprehensive crime prevention program for all new incoming students. The program includes an introduction to the mission, vision, and goals of the Wellesley College Police Department and offers tips for reducing risk and taking steps to ensure individual and community safety.
    • Sexual Assault Awareness, Education and Prevention. The department participates as a member of the Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence Education (SAIVE) committee. The SAIVE committee offers workshops and other activities to educate community members about sexual assault and steps to follow to avoid becoming a victim of sexual assault.
    • Security Surveys. (Safety Awareness for Everyone; SAFE; Program). The department conducts both home security surveys and office security surveys.

      • Home Security Survey. This is a free service of the Wellesley College Police Department. A police representative will come out to your home and check your lights, locks, and landscaping and make recommendations. You must be present for this survey, as the officer will check your entire home. At the end of the survey, we will provide you with a written list of recommendations. If you live in College-provided housing, we will also provide a copy of the recommendations to the Housing and Transportation Office. The survey takes approximately 45 minutes.

        If you follow the recommendations, you will greatly reduce your chances of being burglarized, although there are no guarantees against burglary.

        To schedule a Home Security Survey, please contact Chief Lisa J. Barbin at lbarbin@wellesley.edu or at (781) 283-2125.

    • Office Security Survey. Another free service of the Wellesley College Police Department designed for any office area or entire academic or administrative building. A police representative will come out to the office or building and tour the area. The representative will make recommendations to improve your security based on "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" (C.P.T.E.D.) standards.

      To schedule a Home Security Survey, please contact Chief Lisa J. Barbin at lbarbin@wellesley.edu or at (781) 283-2125.

      • Safety is everyone’s business. We encourage community members to get involved in community safety. Each member of the community should feel free to contact the department to report suspicious, unusual, or criminal activity. We also encourage community members to share their concerns about safety issues with us.

     

    Wellesley College Police main page
    About Us |     Daily Crime Log | Campus Security Report
    Wellesley OneCard | Parking Management | Escort Program | Crime Prevention

     

    Maintained by Lt. Philip N. Di Blasi
    Wellesley College Police Department
    Last Modified: November 14th, 2005
    Expires: December 31st, 2005