University Police to serve Downtown Campus

With the opening of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ building downtown — and UB’s increasing presence on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus — University Police will begin serving all UB-owned or operated facilities on the BNMC on Aug. 23.

At that time, members of the university community on the Downtown Campus should call University Police dispatch for all police, fire and medical emergencies.

Deputy Chief Mark Gates will lead UBPD’s downtown operations, which will be based in the UB Gateway at 77 Goodell St.

Chris Bartolomei, interim university chief of police, says UBPD plans to offer meet-and-greets this summer and into the fall with UB faculty, staff and students who are based on the Downtown Campus.

Until UBPD coverage begins on Aug. 23, Bartolomei advises employees to call 911 for all police, fire and medical emergencies. For general security concerns and procedures regarding a specific building or worksite downtown, employees should contact the designated security provider in the building.

Bartolomei notes that on a daily basis, there are university-wide procedures in place to protect all university employees, as well as steps each person should take to safeguard themselves and their property:

Recommended safety precautions

Contrary to common perceptions, crime on the BNMC is relatively low. However, University Police encourages students and employees to take proactive measures to ensure their safety.

Generally, this includes:

• Being conscious and aware of your surroundings, especially if you are wearing headphones or using your phone.
• Keeping your phone, purse, wallet and valuables close to your body.
• Locking your vehicles and keeping valuables out of sight.
• If you see a crime or a suspicious situation, do not hesitate to call 911.

NFTA Police offer these suggestions while using the transit system:

• Report all emergencies and suspicious persons, and incidents to NFTA Police at 855-6405. Consider adding this number to your phone contacts and home screen.
• Passengers can also use any of the emergency phone panels located inside each station.
• Download the NFTA phone app “NFTA See Say,” which provides a direct link to the NFTA dispatcher:
  

Securing your bicycle

Always lock your bike with a quality “U”-style lock. Using padlocks with cables or chains is not an effective means to prevent theft.

Register the serial number of your bike with Bike Index. This will greatly increase the chances that your bike will be recovered if it is stolen.

After construction is completed in June, the parking garage at 854 Ellicott St. will house a secure bicycle-storage area for students, faculty and staff. To get your name on the waiting list for this facility, or to start using secure bike storage currently available at Virginia and Ellicott streets, visit the BNMC website.

Safety communication and alerts

In order to maintain communication across the BNMC, University Police and its partners at Kaleida Security and Roswell Park Public Safety have developed a process to share important safety-related information, including any alerts issued at the respective facilities.

All UB-affiliated persons with a “buffalo.edu” email address will automatically receive any UB Alerts that are sent via email. Sign up online for text alerts.

The university uses different modes of communication — text, email, social media, and/or website banners — depending upon the situation or incident. UB’s emergency website contains all information disseminated through UB Alerts, regardless of the mode of communication, as well as updates on incidents. To be fully informed during an emergency or incident impacting the university community, refer to this site whenever UB Alerts are issued.

Campus shuttles and safety escorts

UB students, faculty and staff also may use the on-demand BNMC safety shuttle, which operates from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 859-5442 and the Kaleida Public Safety office will dispatch the shuttle.

And for students and researchers working late at the Jacobs School, security officers are providing late night walking escorts upon request. To request an escort, available from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily, call Securitas at 829-2352.

Members of the UB community on the Downtown Campus who have any security concerns can contact Gates at 645-8908 or mgates@buffalo.edu.