Emory University Police

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a copy of a police report?

Police reports go through a preparation, approval and filing process before they are available. Generally, reports are available the next workday (Monday through Fridays, excluding holidays and weekends), after 3:00 p.m.

To obtain a copy of a police report, you may come to EPD offices during regular business hours (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and request the form at the reception window. Please bring identification when picking up a report.

Officers provide courtesy cards with the reporting or investigating officer's name and the case number. So that we can serve your needs, please provide this card or information when visiting our office to pick up a copy of incident report.

HINT: If you call in advance, the report can be copied and waiting for you, reducing delays. Call 727-6115. Sorry, we do not FAX police incident reports.

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Where are the EPD offices?

Photograph by Officer Dennis Abel

EPD offices are located in the ground floor of the North Decatur Building at 1784 N. Decatur Road, Suite G-01, Atlanta, Ga. 30322-0550. We are approximately 150 yards east of the intersection of Clifton Road and N. Decatur Road.

Parking is available at the Lowergate Parking Deck in the visitor's section.

See map --

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What do I do when I have been in a traffic accident?

If you are involved in a vehicle accident, first determine if there is anyone injured. Immediately summon police and medical assistance, if necessary. Provide comfort and aid to those injured. In most cases, injured persons should not be moved.

While waiting for police, get your driver's license and insurance card out.

If the damage is less than $500, reporting is optional if all parties agree that a report is not necessary. If one of the vehicles is unattended -- e.g. a parked vehicle -- a note with complete contact information -- name, address, telephone number and insurance company -- must be left on the unattended vehicles. We recommend you contact the police department immediately and let us assist you in filing a report.

If you are involved in a vehicle accident and there are injuries or the damage is more than $500, you must immediately report the accident to the police.

Any accidents must be reported to the police department jurisdiction in which the incident occurred.

It is not required by law to leave the vehicles in the roadway. It is often prudent -- when no one is injured -- to move vehicles off the roadway to prevent further accidents and keep traffic moving freely, allowing police and emergency vehicles to arrive sooner.

It is okay to exchange insurance and contact information with other parties involved.

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My car has been impounded -- how can I get it back?

All impounded vehicles by the Emory Police Department are logged to ensure accountability. You may call us 24-hours-a-day at 404-727-8005 to inquire if the police department as impounded your vehicle. Emory University uses S & W Wrecker Service, telephone: 770-493-9083. Call S&W Wrecker and find out the exact charge. Note: They do not accept checks or credit cards -- cash only.

They are convenient to bus routes, as well as cabs.

If your vehicle was impounded from a county road, you will need to contact Dekalb County Police (911) for information on reclaiming your vehicle.

If you vehicle was impounded from a parking lot of a business -- e.g. a restaurant, bank, grocery store, etc. -- there are usually signs which advise which towing company needs to be contacted. The owners of the property can also provide information.

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When are the EPD police administrative office hours of operation?

Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 PM, excepting holidays.

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What can I do to protect my bicycle?

The recovery rate for stolen bicycles is extremely low, so observe every possible precaution for its security.

Park your bicycle where you can keep it in sight if at all possible.
Never leave your bicycle unsecured, even if you'll only be gone for a minute. It takes only seconds for a thief to steal an unsecured bike.
In a public place, try to secure your bike where anyone tampering with it will be readily observed by passersby and thus discouraged.
At night, try to secure your bike in a well lighted area.
Always secure your bike with a high quality, "U" shaped lock, making sure to run the lock through the frame and the front wheel and attach it to an immovable object such as a bicycle rack.
You can increase the strength of your lock by adding "Bad Bones" and a "T" adapter for extra protection against smart thieves. Click here for more details.
Report all thefts immediately to the Campus Police. Dial 9-1-1 from an Emory phone or 727-6111 from a pay phone.

Click Here to learn more on keeping your bicycle.

Don't forget, learn to be safe while riding the bicycle, too. To learn more about bicycle safety, click here.

How can Emory have a safer workplace?

A safer workplace begins with you.

Did you lock your car when you left it in the parking lot this morning?
If you are the last to leave at night, do you lock the door to your office?
Did you report that broken light in the stairwell?
Do you insist on identification from repair persons who come to work in the office? Are you extra alert while they are there?
Do you know the location of the fire exits in your building?
Do you keep your purse with you or locked in a drawer or closet instead of on your desk or on a table?
If something suspicious or frightening happened -a stranger loitering near the door, a burglary, a telephone bomb threat -- do you know the telephone numbers for the security, police, and fire departments?
Do you keep track of the office keys in your possession, storing them in a secure place and not handing them out to unauthorized persons?
Do you shred important papers before discarding them in the wastebasket?
Do you avoid letting telephone callers know that your boss or fellow workers are out of town?
If a coworker were the victim of crime, would you know how to help?

SAFETY IN TRANSIT

If you are working late or reporting in early, try to meet another employee to ride together and enter or leave together. If you're in a one-person office or store, check with neighboring businesses to see if any of their employees have similar schedules. Make certain you have the most up-to-date schedules if you take public transportation.
Don't get in elevators with people who look out of place or behave in a strange or threatening way. Report such individuals to security or the police.
Don't use the stairs alone. Stairwells can be traps as well as a way to save time or get some exercise. Never enter a stairwell to escape pursuers or potential attackers. Go to an office where there are other people.
Be extra cautious when using rest rooms that are in isolated locations. poorly lighted, or open to the public.
If you bank for your business, vary your route and times of departure. Conceal the bank bag.
Call for an escort.

PARKING LOT SENSE

Park in well-lighted, heavily traveled areas if possible. If you know you are going to be staying late, check for lights when you park in the morning. If there are no spaces near lights, move your car to a better location at noon or when other employees begin to leave for the day.
If you are working late, ask a trusted co-worker to escort or request an escort from EPD/Community Services from your office to the parking lot.
Always lock your car and roll the windows up all the way. If you notice any strangers lurking in the parking lot, notify security or the police immediately.
Don't leave any valuable items in plain view inside your car. Leave them at home or lock them in the trunk.
When you approach your car. have your key ready and check the floor and back seats before you get in.
Report any lighting or safety hazards to the Community Service Office at 727-PARK.

OFFICE SECURITY

Keep your purse. wallet. or other valuable items with you at all times or locked in a drawer or closet. Don't leave a purse on or under a desk or a wallet in a jacket that's left on a chair or coat rack. If you store your valuables in a desk or file cabinet, please make sure it is locked at all times.
Never leave your keys lying about.
Never leave change or cash on the desk or in a top drawer. Instead place any cash in an envelope and put it in a drawer that you can lock.
If you bring any personal items to work, such as a coffee pot. a radio. or a calculator, make sure they are engraved with your name or initials and an identification number.
Check the identification of any strangers who ask for confidential information or any delivery or repair persons who want to enter an area restricted to employees. Don't be afraid to call for verification.
If you notice any suspicious persons or vehicles, notify security personnel or the police. Be especially alert in large office buildings and after normal working hours.
When you are working in an office or store after normal working hours, be sure you have closed and locked exterior doors and windows. If you have a perimeter alarm system, leave it on for extra protection.
Report any broken or flickering lights, dimly lit corridors, doors that don't lock properly, broken windows, or broken pay phones to maintenance and security.
Be discreet. Don't advertise your social life or vacation plans and those of your co-workers to strangers visiting your place of work.
Keep the emergency numbers for security, the police, and fire departments posted near every phone. It's also a good idea to write the address of the building on or near the phone. People often forget addresses when reporting an emergency at work. Post a list of employees who are trained in CPR or emergency first aid along with their extension numbers.
If you are responsible for office keys, don't leave them on your desk or in the top drawer where they could be easily taken and copied. Keep them with you or hide them in a secure place. Only give out keys to persons who have legitimate need and make sure they are returned.
Never write down safe or vault combinations or computer passwords.
Know your co-workers and look out for each other. Ask a friend to watch your desk while you're in another room or out for lunch, and volunteer to do the same. Find someone who leaves at the same time or takes the same bus or subway and walk together.
If you're going to be away from your desk, ask someone to answer your phone or have the calls forwarded to another phone.
Always let someone know where you'll be whether it's coming in late, working late, going to the computer room, going out to lunch or to a meeting. If you have an accident, they will have an idea about where you are and eventually come looking for you.
Make sure all the equipment in your office typewriters, word processors, copying machines, calculators, computers -has been engraved with an identification number.
Make sure copiers are turned off after hours and critical files are secure.

A SAFE WORKPLACE STARTS WITH YOU is excerpted from THE CORPORATE ACTION KIT.

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How can I learn about home safety?

The EPD Crime Prevention office has information and programs to help you with your home safety concerns. Please contact them for more information.

Publications on Home Security

Home Security
Consumer Reports Books
51 East 42 Street
New York, N.Y. 10017
1988
$15.00 ISBN 0-89043-087-X

Home Mechanix Guide to Home Security
Author - Bill Phillips
John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Professional Reference and Trade Group
605 Third Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10158-0012
1994
$16.95 ISBN 0-471-58893-8

Crime Free
Author - Michael Castleman
Fireside Book
Simon and Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, N.Y. 10020
1984
$7.95 ISBN 0-671-60279-9

Home Safe Home
Authors - Helen & Mike Maxwell
New Horizon Press
1992
$13.95 ISBN 0-88282-113-X

How safe are ATM machines?

In and around Emory, there are few instances of persons being victimized at ATM machines. Emory has an Emergency Blue Light Phone next to the ATM machines at the Dobbs University Center (DUC) Plaza. However, ATM's are where the money is and that is why criminals choose to victimize persons at those locations.

ATM SAFETY TIPS

During the past few years armed robberies involving automatic teller machine customers have become a problem in the Atlanta area. There have been several robberies at ATM machines near the campus. In most cases the robberies in the Emory area occurred after dark. The Emory Police Department asks that you consider the following safety measures.

Use automatic teller machines that are busy, easily seen by the public, well lighted and have landscaping that does not provide concealment for robbers. If the location makes you feel vulnerable report the problem to the bank manager. If you see someone who appears to be "staking out" the ATM contact the police immediately.
Make your trip to the ATM with a friend and avoid using outdoor teller machines at night. If you must obtain cash after dark, it is safer to go to a teller machine inside a grocery store or shopping mall, or use an ATM that allows you to operate the machine without leaving your car.
Do not stand at the machine and count your cash. If a robber is trying to select a victim he or she should not be allowed to see that you are leaving the machine with a large amount of cash.
Although it is impossible to predict who will rob you and how they will react, in most cases it is best to turn over your cash without a struggle. Resisting could turn a robbery into a violent assault. Should the robber attempt to force you into a vehicle, he or she might be planning to commit a crime, such as a sexual assault or murder, that would otherwise not be practicable in a public place. If the robbery turns into a kidnapping your best option for survival may be to resist, attract as much attention as possible, and try to escape.
Ultimately, the decision to cooperate, resist, or escape rests with the individual. Each situation has unique circumstances and the choice of action must be made after considering these circumstances, your abilities, your assessment of the threat, and likelihood of injury.
If you are suspicious about persons in the area, unusual signs asking to you to vary from accepted deposit procedures; or see anything out of place, call police immediately.

Additional ATM & Credit Card Precautions

Never write your secret code on the back of your card or keep it in an undisguised form in your wallet.
If your ATM card or credit card is lost or stolen report it to the bank immediately. Thieves try to get to the bank or shopping mall quickly to withdraw cash or charge as many items as possible before the card is canceled. Reporting the loss of a card can reduce the amount of money you lose and may result in the apprehension of the thief Many banks list numbers in the telephone directory where you can report the loss of a card. These lines are usually in operation 24 hours a day. When canceling a card it is more convenient if you have the account numbers available, but it is not essential.
Never give anyone your secret code over the telephone. Your bank or the police may ask for your account number when you file a report, but they will not call you for your secret code. Only the thief will call and ask for the code.

I need to be fingerprinted for an application. Can you help?

Yes, we can. Call 404-727-6115 and make an appointment.

Where can I find the annual Emory Security report?

These reports are published by the EMORY REPORT and is available from them -- telephone 404-727-6216.

You may also pick up a copy at the Emory Police Department offices or contact us at 404-727-6115 or via e-mail at EPD@emory.edu. We'll make sure you receive a copy.

Or -- follow this link for the on-line ANNUAL SECURITY REPORT.

Overview of the Emory Police Department

Homeland Security Links