Emergency Numbers/Contact Information
Berry College Police Communications
706-236-2262 or Ext. 2262
This line is staffed 24 hours per day, every day.
Berry College Police Administrative Line
706-368-6999 or Ext. 6999
This line is not monitored 24 hours per day. If you fail to reach service on this line, please contact the Berry College Communication line.
Parking and Support Services
706-368-6999 or Ext. 6999
parkingservices@berry.edu
Parking Services is staffed for remote support M-F, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding college holidays. Walk-in support is offered Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For in-person services, a call ahead or make an appointment.
The Clery Act requires all institutions of higher education to publish an annual report of institutional security policies and crime statistics. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 also requires an annual report containing information on campus emergency response and evacuation procedures, emergency notification, additional hate crime reporting and fire safety policies and statistics. This report is made available to all current and prospective students and employees. Berry College sends an e-mail to every enrolled student and current employee on an annual basis to notify that the report is available to be viewed which includes a .PDF file containing the report’s direct link. Printed copies are available, at no charge, upon request and are available in person at the Berry College Police Department (located at Oak Grove Cottage) during regular open hours or by contacting the Berry College Police Administration (Campus Extension 6999 or 706-368-6999). This report is also linked to the Berry College Police website, https://berry.edu/student-life/life-on-campus/campus-police/.
The purpose of this publication is to:
- Provide the Berry College community with an overview of Berry College Police Department services
- Share crime statistics required by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act
- Inform current and prospective students, staff, faculty and visitors about the College’s policies and programs designed to help keep them safe
- Share information regarding emergency preparedness and planning
- Share information regarding fire safety, fire statistics and fire-related information
Comprehensive crime statistics for Berry College are also available online at the U.S. Department of Education, https://ope.ed.gov/security/.
Rome, Georgia/ Floyd County area statistics are also available by accessing the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), https://ucr.fbi.gov/ucr-publications.
The report is due by October 1 of each year and must contain certain crime statistics for the most recent three-year reporting period. Students and parents are encouraged to contact Chief Ryan Chesley to discuss specific concerns.
Berry College takes the responsibility of providing life safety and property protection very seriously. To meet these important responsibilities, the college maintains a force of state-certified police officers whose duties are integrated to provide law enforcement, crime prevention and parking control/enforcement. The department strives to contribute to the academic environment by performing professional law enforcement tasks with a positive, service-oriented, and educational approach.
Our police officers receive their law enforcement authority through the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Title 20.
The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council certifies all police officers after they successfully complete the 809-hour basic mandate training course. The officers are then required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of annual training to maintain their peace officer certification and arrest powers. As of January 1, 2017, all peace officers have to complete a specified minimum of 7 hours for designated topics within the 20-hour annual training requirement. The designated topics to be completed each year within the 20 hours are:
- Firearms Requalification – 1 Hour
- Use of Deadly Force – 1 Hour
- De-escalation training – 1 Hour
- Community Policing – 2 Hours
- Gang Investigations – 1 Hour
- Human Trafficking – 1 Hour
Our officers typically receive a minimum of 40 hours of annual training in a wide range of topics that better equip our personnel to serve the Berry community.
Berry’s police officers are authorized full police powers, including the power of arrest, on all college property.
Officers patrol the campus, 24 hours a day, via marked patrol units, bicycles and on foot to deter acts of crime and to detect and intervene when criminal activity occurs. They respond and follow up on all reported crimes. In addition to patrol duties, officers investigate traffic accidents and alleged crimes, assist in medical emergencies, provide limited motorist assistance, enforce campus parking/traffic regulations and provide support to numerous campus activities and events.
The department maintains a 24-hour communications and dispatch office located in Berry College’s Welcome Center. Call 706-236-2262 for emergencies (or dial 2262 from campus telephones). The communications office and all Berry College Police officers have radio links with local emergency response agencies.
The central fire and security alarm receiver is located in the communications office, allowing constant monitoring of these systems. Security cameras located throughout campus, campus emergency phones, panic alarm buttons and the card access system are also monitored by the BCPD communications office. The communications office is open and accessible for walk-in assistance year-round, 24 hours per day.
The department maintains a close working and professional relationship with local emergency agencies and their members. Local agencies come together through meetings, training and investigative follow ups and information is freely shared between these agencies.
Officers work closely with our Campus Residence Life partners in assigned buildings to provide training and information to promote crime prevention awareness and to develop healthy relationships with the residents of the buildings.
The Berry College Police Department strives to foster and encourage community-Campus Police partnerships, both to aid in the prevention of crime and to develop and maintain positive communication and mutual understanding and trust between students, staff, faculty and Campus Police personnel. Partnerships between the community and the police are always stronger when the community understands and supports the role of the police and when the community is confident the actions of the police are fair and just. Students who fully understand the role of BCPD and our efforts to enhance the quality of community life will be better prepared to provide advice to Campus Police to help shape policies and initiatives. Personal safety and security must be a cooperative venture, and no police department can be effective unless individuals exercise reasonable care and prudence. The officers and staff of BCPD need your help in continuing to make Berry College a safer campus. The department welcomes the opportunity to discuss safety issues and prevention methods. The police department and command staff are located in Oak Grove Cottage. Due to the nature of our work, we encourage you to call ahead and schedule an appointment if you would like to meet with an officer or member of the command staff. The police department's dispatch center and community support staff are located at the Welcome Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Parking and ID services are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding college holidays.