Public Safety

The Erskine College Police Department (ECPD) promotes and preserves a safe and secure campus environment by delivering quality police and community safety service in a professional and sensitive manner. The department is committed to the professional growth of its police officers, support staff, and the continual development of its relationship with faculty, staff, and students.

Important phone numbers are listed below and can be found at Public Safety – Erskine College

Callers will remain anonymous unless they opt to leave a name and telephone number to allow a representative of the Erskine College Police Department to contact them.

Emergency Procedures

The safety of our students, employees, and visitors is a primary goal of Erskine College. By working together and observing prescribed safety measures and procedures, we can keep Erskine College the safe place it has traditionally been. You will be provided various types of instructions in lecture and written form and be urged to follow these guidelines to avoid injury.

If an accident or sickness occurs, it is important to observe procedures to secure assistance. Boarding students should contact their resident director, Campus Life Coordinator, or Vice President of Student Development, or visit Health Services located at Due West Family Medicine (864-379-2345). In life-threatening or emergency situations, please dial 911.

Erskine College Police Department

The Erskine College Department of Public Safety (DPS or ECDPS) employs certified Class I Law Enforcement officers who have gone through the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy for Basic Law Enforcement Training. All of our police officers are appointed by the Governor of South Carolina as State Constables. The College seeks to provide an environment where students, faculty, staff, and visitors are protected from harassment and injury.

Our police officers practice numerous measures to prevent crime:

• Erskine College DPS has Memoranda of Agreement in place with other agencies to provide and receive assistance when needed.
• Erskine College DPS Police Officers are trained at minimum of Emergency Medical Responder, with some achieving National Registered Emergency Medical Technician.
• Due West Fire & Rescue and Abbeville County EMS are responding agencies in the event of an emergency.
• ECDPS is active in the Abbeville County Public Safety Committee, which develops standard response, training, and communication protocols for better interoperability with other agencies in the county.
• All Law Enforcement, Fire Departments, EMS, ACERT Special Operations Team, School District and Hospital systems have a shared digital radio system within the county, allowing us to communicate as needed. All Law Enforcement in our area operate on the same channel, allowing many agencies to respond to calls for service and essentially multiplying our resources.
• Annual threat assessment and community involvement meetings are held to address safety concerns and that has in turn, assisted us in placing physical barriers and signs to deter would-be criminals, improved our lighting and pedestrian concerns and other projects. This is an ongoing project as we continue to be proactive.
• The non-residential campus buildings are normally locked during periods when they are not occupied, and residence halls are locked all the time. Electronic locks and cameras are constantly being upgraded and improved.
• The campus is patrolled by both ECPD and the Civilian Patrol Team (CPT). We use a variety of methods, such as marked Police and CPT vehicles, unmarked Police vehicles as well as bikes, golf carts and foot patrol.
• Upon request and whenever possible, student, faculty and staff members will be escorted to and from their vehicles during the evening hours. To arrange an escort, one may contact our non-emergency dispatch at 864-366-8451. Visitors or unescorted individuals may be greeted by College Police Officers and have assistance provided if they have business on the campus. Individuals who have no reason to be on the campus will be escorted off the premises.

There are no off-campus locations of student organizations that are officially recognized by Erskine College.

Building Access

Erskine College maintains an open campus. As such, the public (including, but not limited to, students, visitors, alumni and parents) can and do come onto college property throughout the day and night. Residence halls and apartments are secured 24 hours a day through a campus key card security system. The Erskine College IT Department issues each student an ID card that serves as a key card to access his or her residence hall. The card also opens other academic buildings on campus on weeknights and weekends. During business hours, the college buildings (except residence facilities) are open to students, guests, parents, contractors and employees. Outside of business hours, access to college facilities is gained through employee-issued keys or Erskine College Police Department personnel (with prior approval). During academic holidays, residence halls are locked by deactivating student key card systems. Campus Safety officers routinely patrol the interior and exterior of campus administrative and academic buildings and the exterior of residence halls at night.