Safety & Resources

• Avoid walking alone, when possible, especially at night.
• Stay in well-lit areas when walking at night and call a friend for an escort if necessary.
• If you must walk alone, let someone know where you’re going and when to expect you.
• If you feel unsafe or as if you are being followed, trust your instincts and take action to get to a safer place. Enter a nearby building with people inside, stay there until you feel safe, and call Drake Public Safety (515-271-2222).
• Don’t have a phone with you? Blue light security phones connect directly to DPS and can be found in heavily traveled outdoor locations and inside buildings across campus.
• The Rave Guardian app also provides additional safety tools for students, faculty, and staff for free.

• All residence hall doors are locked 24/7. If you or a guest enters any residence hall— even your own—after 11 p.m., you must present identification.
• Any guest must be accompanied at all times by a hall resident. To be admitted to other campus buildings after business hours, you may also be required to show your ID.
• Close curtains or blinds after dark and avoid dressing or undressing in front of uncovered windows.
• Always lock your residence hall room, office, and vehicle—even if you’re leaving briefly. Most thefts on campus occur in unlocked rooms.
• Report broken/malfunctioning locks and lost or stolen keys to the Office of Residence Life right away. Locks can be changed for a fee.
• Never leave keys unattended or lend them to others.
• Keep track of your belongings when using campus or off-campus laundry facilities and avoid going to off-campus laundromats alone or late at night.

Drake participates in Operation Identification, a program designed to help identify and recover stolen property. Simply call the Des Moines Police Department for an identification number and engrave it on your property. In the event that the item is stolen and recovered by DMPD, they can use this number to ensure the item is returned to you.

If you’re interested in engraving an item, contact your Resident Assistant to use the engraver.

• Wallet cards with information on what to do if you or someone you know is raped (September)
• Rape Awareness Week (October)
• Sexual assault poster (describes reporting and disciplinary procedures)
• Monthly meetings with student government leadership on safety and security.
• Shorin Ryu Karate at the Bell Center
• Operation ID through Campus Public Safety
• Drug and alcohol abuse education programs
• Alcohol Awareness Week (October)
• Safe Spring Break Days (March)
• Drug and alcohol counseling without charge (call the Drake Counseling Center, 515-271-3864)

• Safe Ride Bus
• Monthly meetings with student government
• Shorin Ryu Karate instruction at the Bell Center
• Campus Security officer assigned to safety awareness
• Bicycle registration through DPS
• Operation ID through DPS

Drake University believes that it cannot deny persons of legal age the right to use alcoholic beverages, but sees a responsibility to prevent the abuse of drinking privileges by expecting students to behave in a legal and responsible manner where the use of alcoholic beverages is concerned.

All federal, state and local laws regarding the unauthorized use, possession, distribution or sale of any alcoholic beverages and controlled substances are in effect on the Drake University campus. Drake University provides education and counseling regarding drug abuse.

A complete description of the University’s policies regarding alcohol and substance abuse may be found in the Student Handbook. Faculty and staff members should contact the Director of Human Resources for a complete description of the appropriate policies pertaining to them.

A complete description of the University’s policies regarding sexual abuse, including procedures for reporting sexual abuse and preserving evidence, can be found in the Student Handbook.

Drake University strongly encourages victims of sexual abuse (including date rape) to report the incident to the authorities and to file a campus disciplinary complaint. Upon the request of a victim of sexual abuse, DPS will help the student notify the Des Moines Police Department. Faculty and staff members should contact the Director of Human Resources for a complete description of the appropriate policies and procedures pertaining to them.

Counseling for sexual abuse victims is available through the University’s counseling center as well as through services such as First Call for Help and Victim Services, both of which are listed on the back of this brochure. Upon the request of a victim of sexual abuse, changes can be made to the victim’s academic, living and work situations to the extent such changes are reasonably available. In addition to possible civil and criminal procedures, Drake may initiate disciplinary procedures and possible sanctions. See the Code of Student Conduct section within the Student Handbook.

The Federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act requires that colleges and universities advise their campus communities where law enforcement agency information provided by a state concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained. The Act also requires sex offenders already required to register in a state to provide notice, as required under state law, of each institution of higher education in that state at which the person is employed, carries on a vocation, volunteers services or is a student.

A registry of sex offenders who have been determined to be of high or moderate likelihood to re-offend is maintained by the State of Iowa at: www.iowasexoffenders.com. For more specific information or to find out which offenders have indicated they attend or are employed by Drake, please contact Sgt. Barry Arnold of the Des Moines Police Department at (515) 283-4833 during regular business hours.

WARNING: The information on the Iowa Sex Offender Web site and the information available to the Des Moines Police Department may be inaccurate, out of date and/or incomplete. Reporting to the registry is voluntary on the part of sex offenders. In addition, budget constraints have prevented the sex offender registry from being kept up to date.

Pursuant to the Safe Explosives Act, 18 U.S.C. 844(f), persons who maliciously damage or destroy, or attempt to damage or destroy, by means of fire or explosive, any building, vehicle or other property owned by a college or university receiving Federal financial assistance (such as Drake University) may be imprisoned for not less than five years and not more than 20 years, plus receive a fine, or both. If personal injury occurs, then the sentence rises to seven to 40 years, plus a fine, or both. If the conduct causes the death of another, then the perpetrator can be subject to the death penalty, or imprisoned for not less than 20 years to life, fined, or both.

DPS cooperates with the Des Moines Police Department in monitoring and recording any criminal activities at off-campus student organizations, such as fraternities and sororities, or by members of such organizations.

• USA.gov Identity Theft Prevention Tips
• FTC Consumer Advice – Identity Theft
• FTC Consumer.gov Scams and Identity Theft
• Identity Theft Resource Center – idtheftcenter.org

Federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act

Sex Offender Registry

The Federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act requires that colleges and universities advise their campus communities where law enforcement agency information provided by a state concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained. The Act also requires sex offenders already required to register in a state to provide notice, as required under state law, of each institution of higher education in that state at which the person is employed, carries on a vocation, volunteers services or is a student.

A registry of sex offenders who have been determined to be of high or moderate likelihood to re-offend is maintained by the State of Iowa at: www.iowasexoffenders.com. For more specific information or to find out which offenders have indicated they attend or are employed by Drake, please contact the Des Moines Police Department at (515) 283-4811 during regular business hours.

Warning: The information on the Iowa Sex Offender website and the information available to the Des Moines Police Department may be inaccurate, out of date and/or incomplete. Reporting to the registry is voluntary on the part of sex offenders. In addition, budget constraints have prevented the sex offender registry from being kept up to date.

• United Way211
  9-211 or 9-246-6555 United Way 211 is a 24-hour-a-day resource and referral service. If you need help or guidance dealing with anything from problems obtaining a passport to sexual assault to emotional troubles, United Way 211 will recommend the appropriate agency.
• Victim Services
  9-286-3600/9-286-3535 (after hours) Victim Services is a Polk County service operating 24 hours a day and offers counseling and help to victims of sexual assault and other crimes. Counselors can advise victims on who to call and where to turn in a time of crisis.