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Campus Police

Reporting and Investigating Violence on Campus

Revised: July 25, 2018

Training Objectives

At the end of this training, you should know:

Reporting Crime or Emergencies

If you are involved in an emergency situation, are the victim of a crime, or witness any criminal activity while on campus, you are urged to notify the LSUHSC-NO Police Department as soon as possible by dialing (504) 568-8999.

Off-campus crimes may be reported to the New Orleans Police Department by dialing 911.

Dispatchers are available at these respective telephone numbers 24 hours a day to answer your call. In response to a call, University Police will take the required action, dispatching an officer or asking the victim to report to the University Police office to file an incident report.

uTip

uTip is a text messaging service designed to be used for true emergencies and to report crimes, suspicious activities or people.

Text 50911 and begin your message with LSUHSC followed by a space as seen below.

You will receive a text to notify you that the text has been received by uTip. More information about uTip can be found here.

u-Tip example

LSU Shield App

Users must complete and save a profile which stores on the device. Profile information is not communicated to LSUHSC Police until the user initiates a request for service. The profile will allow for up to three Emergency Contacts to be selected from the device address book. You must allow location services when downloading the App. Location accuracy and proper call routing are greatly improved when the user is connected to Wi-Fi. More information on the LSU Shield App can be found here.


LSU Shield App

Non Emergency Reporting

To contact University Police with non-emergency information, please call 568-8270, or send an online message.

Confidentiality Policy

The University Police Department (UPD) encourages anyone who is the victim or witness to any crime to promptly report the incident to the police. Because police reports are public records under state law, the UPD cannot hold reports of crime in confidence. Confidential reports can be made to the Campus Assistance Program at (504) 568-8888 or via email at cap@lsuhsc.edu.

Responsible Employees

Responsible Employees include any employee who:

When a responsible employee receives a report of violence the employee must:

Confidential Advisors

A person trained in accordance with law and designated by the campus who the student or employee can choose to have support and advise them in accordance with law during the complaint process. The only employees who can guarantee a student’s confidentiality regarding sexual assaults or misconduct are the confidential advisors. The Campus Assistance Program (CAP) counselor’s have been designated as the confidential advisors for LSUHSC-NO.

Preserving Evidence after a Sexual Assault

In the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault, the most important thing is for the victim to get to a safe place. Whether it be the victim’s home, a friend’s home or with a family member, immediate safety is what matters most. When a feeling of safety has been achieved, it is vital for the victim to receive medical attention, and strongly recommended for the victim to receive a forensic examination.

Preserving DNA evidence can be key to identifying the perpetrator in a sexual assault case, especially those in which the offender is a stranger. DNA evidence is an integral part of a law enforcement investigation that can build a strong case to show that a sexual assault occurred and to show that the defendant is the source of biological material left on the victim’s body.

Victims should make every effort to save anything that might contain the perpetrator’s DNA, therefore a victim should not:

Even if the victim has not yet decided to report the crime, receiving a forensic medical exam and keeping the evidence safe from damage will improve the chances that the police can access and test the stored evidence at a later date.

What Does a Forensic Medical Exam Entail?

Although you can go to the healthcare facility of your choice for medical treatment, in the New Orleans area, a forensic medical exam for evidence collection can only be performed at a the University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO), by a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE), sexual assault forensic examiner (SAFE) or another medical professional.

This exam is complex and on average, takes 3-4 hours. While this may seem lengthy, medical and forensic exams are comprehensive because the victim deserves and needs special attention to ensure that they are medically safe and protected. In addition, it is important to collect evidence so that if the victim chooses to report the crime to the police, they can access the stored evidence.

  1. To start, the medical professional will write down the victim’s detailed history. This sets a clear picture of existing health status, including medications being taken and preexisting conditions unrelated to the assault.
  2. Next there is a head-to-toe, detailed examination and assessment of the entire body (including an internal examination). This may include collection of blood, urine, hair and other body secretion samples, photo documentation of injuries (such as bruises, cuts and scraped skin), collection of clothing (especially undergarments).
  3. Finally, the medical professional will speak about treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that may have been exposed during the assault. Depending on the hospital and state, the victim may receive prophylaxis as well as referrals for follow-up counseling, community resources and medical care.

NOTE: The victim has the right to accept or decline any or all parts of the exam. However, it is important to remember that critical evidence may be missed if not collected or analyzed.

After the forensic medical exam is performed and the evidence is collected and stored in the kit (sometimes referred to as a “rape kit”), the victim will be able to take a shower, brush their teeth, etc. — all while knowing that the evidence has been preserved to aid in a criminal prosecution if so desired.

Victims' Rights

Victims of sexual assault have the right to the following:

Disciplinary Hearings

Where to go for Additional Help

LSUHSC-NO Resources

Community Resources

Additional resources can be found on the Campus Health web page.

Accommodations

Accommodations can be made for victims of violence and for students and employees who report.

Protective Orders

INTRODUCTION TO FILING

DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY AND VENUE

FILL OUT FORMS

PETITIONS

FILE PETITION

How and Where to File a Protective Order?

The Louisiana Protective Order Registry website to begin the filing process.

University Policies & Publications

LSUHSC-NO Policies

LSUHSC-NO Publications

Getting Help

From the LSUHSC-NO website, click on the police icon Police Iconlocated at the bottom of the homepage under "Events and Campus Resources" to find more information, phone numbers, and other important information regarding University Police.

Or, LSUHSC-NO's Title IX Coordinator: