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Youth Programs
Parents around the country are more concerned than ever about the safety of their children. Parents constantly worry about stranger abduction and about their child being sexually molested. Although there is a myriad of information available to the public about keeping kids safe, it has become confusing for parents to sort through the vast amount of “expert” opinion.
In this 1.5-hour presentation, we will discuss child safety from logical viewpoint, provide you with pertinent statistics, dispel some old myths, and show you how you can enhance your child's safety. This presentation contains information on predators and how they are able to win your confidence and lure your child. We will provide you with information on the signals of intuition and the ways to capitalize on those "gut feelings" to better protect your child. Basic information is provided on what parents need to teach their children so they can begin to learn to protect themselves and develop their own instincts in the process. We also provide parents with the "signs and symptoms" of sexual abuse so they can recognize potential problems should they arise.
Schedule a Presentation
The State College Police Department offers a “Stranger Danger” program for children which covers the above information. To help teach children who a stranger is they are shown a number of pictures including pictures of people who appear smiling and friendly and others where the person appears to look scary. This illustration helps kids learn that strangers aren’t just people who look scary, but are people that they don’t know. Contact the Community Relations and Crime Prevention Specialist at the State College Police Department to schedule a “Stranger Danger” program for your class or organization, call (814) 234-7150 or email.
Children have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Most kids don't have to go to the library or use encyclopedias to find information for school projects or look things up merely out of curiosity. We are a society connected by technology that contains an infinite amount of easily accessible information. The internet is a great place to learn, but it can also hold a multitude of dangers if used unwisely.
Programs on cyber bullying and Internet safety for kids are designed to make kids aware of the dangers of surfing the web, especially entering live chat rooms, and posting information on bulletin boards. This presentation teaches kids not to believe everything they see on the internet, and that not everyone they meet is who they claim to be. Kids are also made aware that they should not provide personal information on the internet.
Information about Camp Cadet can be found at: http://campcadet.homewithvertex.com/
For information about this program visit: https://www.centrehelps.org/educational-programming/
Educational Presentations
This is a 1.5-hour presentation that provides crucial information should you or members of your organization ever find themselves in an Active Shooter or Dangerous intruder evet. The Department of Homeland Security Defines an Active Shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, Active Shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.” This presentation is designed to educate persons in preparation, planning, and preparedness in the event of an active shooter or dangerous intruder. In addition, topics covered include early reporting in a pathway to violence, site-assessment and target handling (for more information visit CPTED), and emergency planning and implementation of practices suggestions.
This is a 1-or 2-hour presentation that discusses how to identify illegal drugs and recognize potential drug abuse. This presentation covers information on drugs that have been on the streets for many years, such as marijuana,crack/cocaine. Heroin, and LSD, along with their effects. The “Designer Drugs” such as Ecstasy. GHB, rohypnol, ketamine, and methamphetamine, and how prescription drugs are not exempt from potential for abuse and addictive effects.
With a wide variety of drugs, drug categories, and information available, an entire format would take several hours to present, but by choosing specific and more common drugs to be discussed, groups can tailor a presentation to fit their educational needs.
The State College Police Department also has a drug display kit available, which contains all of the above-mentioned drugs. The display can be viewed by asking the presenter to include it at the time of the scheduled presentation. The display kit allows persons in the group to view and handle packaged narcotics thereby enhancing their knowledge of these drugs should they encounter them while out on the street, schools, or workplace.
Identity theft is when someone illegally obtains a person's identifying information, such as name, address, date of birth, social security number or mother's maiden name. Armed with this information, an impostor can open new credit card accounts, drain your bank accounts, purchase automobiles, apply for loans, open utility services and many other services.
In this 1-hour presentation, the warning signs of identity theft, how to protect yourself, and other general information about identity theft are discussed.
For immediate information, here are some helpful links:
The Better Business Bureau – bbb.org
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – consumer.ftc.gov and Identitytheft.gov
Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force – stopfraud.gov
Internal Revenue Service – irs.gov/Individuals/Identity-Protection
National Cyber Security Alliance – StaySafeOnline.org
Sexual assault and rape are acts of violence that can happen to anyone. Attackers and rapists can be anyone - strangers, neighbors, boyfriends, girlfriends, partners or spouses, co-workers, classmates, family members, and friends. In fact, most victims know their assailants. You can reduce the risk of sexual assault by learning about precautionary measures you can take, how to protect yourself, and how to report an incident.
This 1-hour presentation provides information on rape, date rape, date rape with drugs and alcohol, and the various laws regarding sexual assault, and what to do if the unthinkable happens.
Only 15 percent of all rapes are reported to the police. Victims will usually not hesitate to report a "stranger" rape, but will rarely report an "acquaintance" rape, because society looks at the two very differently. Victims must go through the process of telling the gruesome story repeatedly; to the police, emergency room personnel, the prosecuting attorney, and a jury. The victims re-live the incident each time they go through the details, making them hesitant to prosecute the offender, and they are left wondering why the system is so insensitive to their victimization. Centre County has found a way to minimize this system’s impact, by introducing the S.A.R.T. team (Sexual Assault Response Team) to victims during the initial stages of a sexual assault investigation. In addition, this presentation will show you how the S.A.R.T. works, who are members of the team, and how their procedures greatly reduce the insensitivity of the system, thereby increasing the rate of prosecution of sexual assault offenders.
The response to domestic violence is no longer crisis intervention but crime intervention. The goals of the police are to stop the violence, make the victim safe or safer, and to hold the batterer accountable. In this 1-hour presentation, the police response to domestic violence is discussed. We offer information on current police procedure when domestic violence is suspected, how probable cause is established from evidence of the victim's injury, statements from those involved, and evidence gathered at the scene. We discuss the components of the investigation, from photographs of the victim's injuries, 9-1-1 tapes, medical records, paramedic run sheets, and impounded evidence, all of which relate to a successful prosecution.
This presentation also discusses the stages in the victim's experience from denial through living without violence. For a victim, leaving is a process, not an act.
This 1-hour presentation is specifically designed for the Penn State University Fraternity and Sorority community, and involves short outlines from the police, borough ordinance personnel, and upon request, the fire department. The information presented is of major concern to fraternity/sorority officers and members, and involves discussion on police response to parties, alcohol, minor's law, Timothy Piazza Medical Amnesty Law, and furnishing alcohol. Borough ordinance officers provide information on refuse, snow removal, lawn requirements, and other valuable information which is important to comply with safety and health standards. The fire department likewise presents information necessary for the safety of everyone residing at or visiting a fraternity or sorority. They can inspect your house and provide you with information on how to prevent fire hazards, maintaining sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers.
Don't wait until you have a problem. Contact us now, and we'll provide guidance to help you prevent fines, arrests, and potential life-threatening catastrophes at your house.
Parents around the country are now more than ever concerned about the safety of their children. Parents constantly worry about stranger abduction and about their child being sexually molested. There is so much information available to the public about keeping kids safe, that it has become confusing to parents trying to sort through the vast amount of "expert" opinion. In this 1.5-hour presentation, we will discuss child safety from logical view point, provide you with pertinent statistics, dispel some old myths, and show you how you can enhance your child's safety. This presentation contains information on predators and things they do to win your confidence and lure your child. We will provide you with information on the signals of intuition and the ways to capitalize on those "gut feelings" to better protect your child. Basic information is provided on what parents need to teach their children so they can begin to learn to protect themselves and develop their intuition in the process. We also provide parents with the "signs and symptoms" of sexual abuse so they can recognize potential problems should they arise.
Other Community Programs
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design's (CPTED) theory is that the design of public spaces, traffic flow patterns, lighting levels, and ease of access all influence crime rates and how residents perceive crime in their community. CPTED concepts not only reduce crime but also combat the fear of crime. Tactics used in CPTED included blocking off streets or making them one way to discourage traffic, renovating courtyards in schools and apartment buildings, installing mechanical devices to monitor access to and from apartment buildings, improving street lighting, and landscaping areas so they are attractive but do not provide hiding places for criminals.
CPTED depends on a mixture of resident, police, and physical design tactics to be successful and demonstrates how environmental design can strengthen a neighborhood. If you would like a police officer to check the security aspects of new commercial or new residential construction or would like to enhance existing security at your home or business, please contact the State College Police Department's Community Relations/Crime Prevention Section at 814-234-7150 or e-mail police@statecollegepa.us.
If you have any questions or concerns, certified child passenger safety technicians are able to help or even double check your work. The State College Police Department has (7) certified child passenger safety technicians to help you. Contact the State College Police Department at 814-234-7150 to schedule a car seat inspection.
For your convenience the State College Police Department’s certified car seat technicians also host several community car seat inspection events each year. At both scheduled inspections and community event inspections you will learn how to install your car seat free of charge and technicians will help make sure your car seat is installed properly.
News Media Interviews
News media interviews are frequently conducted by the State College Police Department's Community Relations/Crime Prevention Section to provide the community with a wide variety of information including safety tips, current events such as road closings and traffic pattern changes, information updates on police investigations, releases of suspect photographs, and requests for community assistance in solving cases.
A news media briefing is held at a regularly scheduled time each day. Media personnel are provided with information on incidents that have occurred over the past twenty four hours, since the last briefing. Our department also provides information to reporters via telephone contacts if they were unable to attend the days regularly scheduled briefing.
The State College Police Department treats all members of the media with impartiality, and in a courteous, professional manner to ensure a continued successful relationship. If you would like more information on media relations, please contact the State College Police Department's Community Relations/Crime Prevention Section at (814) 234-7150 or email.
Student Interviews
The Community Relations/Crime Prevention Section of the State College Police Department regularly conducts interviews for Penn State students and area high school students who require information on public safety and crime prevention for class projects and term papers. Students interested in interviews with a police officer can either write, or record by audio or video their interview session to capture the necessary information for their project.
To set up an appointment for an interview the student can either come in to the lobby of the State College Police
Police Station Tours
The State College Police Department offers station tours by appointment from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tours are designed for groups of people who are interested in the various functions of our police department including: Administrative, Patrol, Traffic, Bicycle, Detective, Community Relations/Crime Prevention, and Records sections. Tours last approximately 30 to 60 minutes depending on the age group of the tour, and contain topics of interest for all ages. Police patrol cars are available for the kids to tour upon request.
Schedule at Tour
To schedule your tour, call (814) 234-7150 or e-mail police@statecollegepa.us.
Ride Along with an Officer
Are you interested in what a police officer does on the street does to serve our community? You can find out by signing up to do a ride-along for a few hours with a patrol officer. Candidates must be at least sixteen years of age and sign a waiver of liability as well as undergo a criminal history and background check. Persons under eighteen must have a parent or guardian sign for them. Candidates accepted to do a ride-along will be assigned a date and time to ride with our police patrol officers and observe how the police handle the various types of incidents they encounter on our streets. Whether you have an interest in law enforcement as a career, or you are doing a school term paper, the experience will be educational.