Campus Safety and Security
A Drug-Free Campus
The Federal Controlled Substances Act provides penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment and fines of up to $25,000 for unlawful distribution or possession with intent to distribute narcotics. For unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a person is subject to up to one year of imprisonment and fines of up to $5,000. Any person who unlawfully distributes a controlled substance, including alcohol, to a person under 21 years of age may be punished by up to twice the term of imprisonment and fine otherwise authorized by law.
Under Florida law, Palm Beach County, and city ordinances, it is unlawful for any person to sell, purchase, manufacture, deliver or possess with the intent to sell, purchase, manufacture or deliver a controlled substance. A person who violates this provision is guilty of a felony of the first, second or third degree, which is partially determined by the type of drug and the quantity involved. Violators may be subject to the stiffest penalties available.
Under Florida law, the maximum penalty for trafficking specific amounts of cocaine or any mixture containing cocaine, including, but not limited to crack, is a first-degree felony punishable by life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Under certain circumstances, such an offense is a capital felony punishable by death.
Based on the quantity involved, penalties for trafficking in illegal drugs including but not limited to the narcotics morphine, opium and heroin range from a mandatory imprisonment of three years and a $50,000 fine to 25 years and a $500,000 fine.
Based on quantity involved, other penalties for trafficking in illegal drugs including but not limited to marijuana, inhalants, depressants, and other stimulants range from five years’ imprisonment and a $5,000 fine to 30 years imprisonment and a $15,000 fine.
Further, it is unlawful for any person to use or to possess with intent to use or deliver drug paraphernalia.
It is unlawful for any person to sell, purchase, manufacture or deliver, or to possess, with the intent to sell, purchase, manufacture or deliver a controlled substance on or within 200 feet of the real property comprising a public or private college, university, or other postsecondary education institution.
For further information, please consult Florida Statutes, Chapter 893, and Palm Beach County and local city ordinances.
Alcoholic Beverages
The legal age for drinking alcoholic beverages is 21 in Florida. Selling, giving, or serving alcoholic beverages to persons under 21 is unlawful. Possession of alcoholic beverages by persons under age 21 is prohibited by Florida law. The minimum penalty is 60 days in jail or a $500 fine. Alcoholic beverages include, but are not limited to, beer, wine, distilled spirits, wine coolers and liqueurs. Students are prohibited from possessing, selling, or using alcoholic beverages on campus or at any College function.
It is unlawful for any person to misrepresent or misstate his or her age. This includes the manufacture or use of false identification. Use of altered identification for the purpose of procuring alcoholic beverages is a misdemeanor. Use or possession of a counterfeit license or identification is a felony.
It is unlawful to drive while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Penalties range from a mandatory suspension of a driver’s license for 90 days to fines up to $500, to hours of community service, to imprisonment for six months. Students shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action by the College authorities.
Children on Campus
Palm Beach State faculty/instructors and staff assume no responsibility for minors not officially enrolled at the College. Minors not officially enrolled at the College are prohibited from using College facilities except with the permission of a faculty/instructor, supervisor, or other College official.
Any unaccompanied minor who creates a disturbance or appears to be lost and unattended shall, for their safety, health, and welfare, be put in the care of the supervisor of campus security or an appropriate College administrator to locate a responsible person for the minor.
Faculty/instructors and staff are forbidden from entertaining on campus their own minor children or children for whom they are responsible who are not enrolled at the College. This prohibition does not deny entry of minor children to campus activities to which they are officially invited.
Restraining Orders -- Court Issued
Students who have obtained a restraining order should provide the campus Security Office and the campus dean/assistant dean of student services with a copy. College personnel will assist the students in providing as safe an environment as possible.
Violators of restraining orders properly filed with the College will be referred to local law enforcement for removal from campus.
College Issued No Contact Order
In order to provide reasonable protection for our students, College administrative restraining orders are issued by the campus dean/assistant dean of student services when a student provides written notification of harassment or stalking by another student. A student who receives a college administrative restraining order is required to abide by its directions or face disciplinary action. College administrative restraining orders do not take the place of civil or criminal restraining orders issued by the court; students are urged to pursue this avenue of protection as well. Students who receive a restraining order may discuss their options with the dean/assistant dean of student services. A no contact order is imposed as an interim measure. If the investigation does not support continued enforcement, it may be lifted through written notification to both parties.
Sexual Offender/Predator Policy/Procedure
Pursuant to the Federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, and Sections 775.21, 943.0435 and 944.607, F.S., the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is required to notify PBSC when a convicted sexual offender intends to seek or maintain admission. Sexual offenders who are approved for admission will be asked to meet with a representative of the Department of Student Services to assure that they do the following:
- Carefully follow the PBSC Student Code of Conduct and any other conditions required as part of the admission process;
- Not enter or come within the proximity of any PBSC childcare or child development center;
- Not seek College-sanctioned volunteer experiences on or off campus where children are involved.
Student Accident (Education/Training) Insurance
Palm Beach State College students who are enrolled in classes that may result in injury during training or clinical experience situations (e.g., in certain Criminal Justice, Health Sciences, Public Safety and Trade & Industry programs) are responsible for all medical and/or personal expenses resulting from treatment of any such injury. To assist with this expense, all students in covered programs are covered by Student Accident (Education Training) Insurance coordinated by the College and paid for by the student as part of the course registration fee.
Firearms on Campus Policy for Law Enforcement Officers Attending Palm Beach State
Law enforcement officers in uniform may carry their weapon in view. Officers in civilian clothes are encouraged to carry their firearm concealed and/or follow their employing department’s guidelines on the carrying of firearms on or off duty.
Emergencies
Fire: In case of fire, an alarm will sound (short, repeated rings). File out quickly to the red Safe Assembly Pole nearest to the building. Reenter the building only after getting an “all clear” from the authorities in charge of the situation.
Accident/Incident: Call 911 immediately for medical emergencies. Report all incidents involving accident, illness, or injury as well as those involving property damage or theft to the Security Office.
Emergency-related information should be directed to the campus Security Office.
Palm Beach State College allows visitors and guests on campus and at certain campus activities. Guests and visitors are expected to conduct themselves appropriately while on campus. Guests and visitors who do not maintain appropriate conduct will be asked to leave by Campus Security. Failure to leave when requested may result in a trespass order being issued by the local law enforcement agency. Anyone wishing to appeal such a request or trespass will need to contact the Security Supervisor at the campus.
Campus Security
All Palm Beach County ordinances and Florida laws apply to the campuses and facilities of Palm Beach State College. The College has adopted policies, rules, and regulations to provide security for the students, staff, visitors, and buildings. Security officers are stationed at all campus locations.
Campus Security can be contacted at one centralized number @ 561-868-3600
Campus Crime Awareness
Jeanne Clery was 19 years old when she was raped and murdered in her college dormitory. Her parents, Connie and Howard Clery, could not have known the danger she was in; standards for campus crime reporting simply did not exist in 1986. In compliance with the Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, The Clery Act, is a consumer protection law that aims to provide transparency around campus crime policy and statistics. In order to comply with Clery Act requirements, colleges and universities must understand what the law entails, where their responsibilities lie, and what they can do to actively foster campus safety. The Palm Beach State College’s Security Department has compiled the following Clery Act requirements:
- Annual Security Reports
- The Clery Act requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to disseminate a public annual security report (ASR) to employees and students every October 1st. This ASR must include statistics of campus crime for the preceding 3 calendar years, plus details about efforts taken to improve campus safety.
- ASRs must also include policy statements regarding (but not limited to) crime reporting, campus facility security and access, law enforcement authority, incidence of alcohol and drug use, and the prevention of/response to sexual assault, domestic or dating violence, and stalking.
- Campus Crime Statistics
- Institutions of higher education must include four distinct categories of crime in their ASR crime data:
- Criminal Offenses
- VAWA Offences
- Hate Crimes
- Arrests and Referrals for Disciplinary Action
- Daily Crime Logs
- Wherever crimes occur, campus police and public safety departments must maintain a daily crime log of all reported crimes that fall within their jurisdiction. This crime log must be made available to the public during daily business hours and is on the Security web page.
- Timely Warnings
- When a crime covered by the Clery Act occurs, campus officials are required to evaluate if there is a serious or ongoing threat to the campus community to determine if a timely warning needs to be issued to all staff and students.
- In the event of an immediate, significant danger to the health or safety campus community (e.g., weather, disease outbreak), campus officials may issue an emergency notification. This notification can include the entire campus or be limited to a specific area deemed to be at risk.
- Sexual Assault & Prevention Info
- Board Policy 6Hx-18-3.49, Sexual Predator or Offender Information Notification/Publication was adopted on March 11, 2003. This policy assures the college is following federal mandates. The FDLE link is provided by the college to search for possible offenders by name (first and last), city, or zip code. There is an additional feature on the FDLE web page (under the University search function) that shows current students that are listed as offenders, by campus.
These requirements for The Clery Act can be found at www.pbsc.edu/Security.
Palm Beach State Alerts
Palm Beach State College now uses the RAVE/Guardian App to communicate with students and employees in an emergency. These emergency messages are sent via text messages on mobile devices, audio messages on cell phones and/or home phones, and emails. To keep your contact information up to date, see instructions at: https://www.pbsc.edu/alertsdefault.aspx
Emergency Response Procedures
Traffic and Parking
Vehicle Registration
All students driving a motor vehicle on campus must obtain a Palm Beach State parking permit.
- The parking decal shall be adhered to the outside of the left rear window or left rear bumper.
- Remove the decal upon transferring ownership of the vehicle.
- Notify campus Security of vehicle title transfer.
- Florida Atlantic University is no longer honoring Palm Beach State decals at the FAU Boca Raton campus, with the exception of vehicles parked in Parking Garage #1 at the FAU library and lot #19. (*Temporary PBSC Passes are not honored*) Current FAU students who are also enrolled at Palm Beach State College must obtain a current PBSC decal and comply with Palm Beach State traffic and parking regulations.
Students who can prove that they do not use Palm Beach State College transportation facilities at any campus may submit a Parking Fee Opt Out Form to any campus Dean of Student Services.
Reserved Parking
Reserved decals are restricted to full-time and regular part-time employees and will not be issued to temporary or student employees. Reserved parking areas are for faculty/instructors and staff only. Students can park at any unmarked space but may not park in Reserved or Visitor spaces.
Disabled Parking
These spaces are clearly marked with disabled parking signs and are monitored by campus Security and law enforcement agencies.
Permits
Temporary Permits: This dashboard pass will be issued for classes less than six weeks in duration by the host division or to employees of contractors working on campus, and to temporary or student employees.
Short-Term Permits: The Security office will issue a pass for unregistered vehicles, valid for up to three days. These passes must be displayed on the dashboard with expiration dates clearly visible.
Traffic and Parking Regulations
- Drivers must obey all posted signs, arrows, control devices, and lines displayed for public safety.
- Driver and vehicle must be registered in accordance with state law.
- Students are responsible for properly displaying a decal. Vehicles displaying a defaced, altered, or expired decal could result in a citation.
- Pedestrians have the right of way at all campus crosswalks. Vehicles must come to a complete stop when a pedestrian is in the crosswalk.
- Vehicles displaying a student decal must park in spaces with unmarked wheel stops. Parking in a space marked Visitor or Reserved at any time will result in a violation.
- Licensed motorcycles must display a parking decal and are subject to four-wheel vehicle regulations.
- Parking or driving on planted areas or sidewalks is prohibited.
- No overnight parking is permitted, except for College-sanctioned and authorized educational or athletic activities.
- Vehicles may occupy only one parking space and are not permitted to park or stand curbside, in a fire lane or in a no parking area.
Fines
Registration, transcripts, and final grades will be withheld until fines are resolved.
Traffic and Parking violation: $20 per infraction.
Handicapped violation: Fines vary, depending on the jurisdiction; may exceed $300.
Appeals
If you receive a parking citation that you feel is unjust, you may initiate an appeal online or by going to the Security Office on the campus where you were issued the citation.
Towing Policy
Disabled/Abandoned Vehicle: After five (5) business days, vehicles left on campus will be towed from campus at the owner’s expense. Extended vehicle repair on campus is prohibited.
Vehicle Hazard: Vehicles creating a hazard by parking in roadways, fire lanes or loading zones may be towed immediately at the owner’s expense.
Lost and Found
Books and articles found should be turned in promptly to campus Security. Claims may be made upon proper identification. Articles not claimed within 60 days are subject to disposal.