Preventing campus crime is a shared responsibility between the College and the campus community. Public apathy is a criminal’s greatest ally. Do not assume that someone else has reported criminal activity, or an emergency. Community members, students, faculty, staff, and guests are strongly encouraged to report all crimes and public safety related incidents in an accurate and timely manner to the Ozarks Technical Community College Safety & Security Department or local law enforcement. Prompt and accurate reporting of criminal offenses aids in providing a timely response and timely warning notices to the community when appropriate and assists in compiling accurate crime statistics.
To report an emergency that requires or may require police, fire, or EMS personnel to respond, please dial 911 from any campus phone, or 911 from an outside phone system.
To report a crime or an emergency on any Ozarks Technical Community College campus or center call the Safety & Security Department from any campus phone at extension 6911, or from an outside phone system, 417-447-6911. OTC Safety & Security Officers are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Crimes and incidents may be reported in person at the OTC Safety and Security Department at the Springfield Campus, located in Information Commons, Room IC208, to any OTC Safety & Security Officer on patrol of the campus, or online under the Safety & Security tab at https://students.otc.edu/caresteam/reporting-options/
Persons reporting criminal incidents should provide as much information as available. If possible, this should include the location, nature of injuries, the description of possible criminals, and briefly what happened. If you are unsure what you witnessed or experienced is a crime, please contact the OTC Safety and Security Office, which will assist you with your situation. Sexually based offenses and discrimination incidents may also be reported to the Title IX Coordinator by contacting 417-447-8188.
Response to Reports
The OTC Safety & Security Department responds to all reports of suspicious or criminal acts and emergencies.
OTC Safety & Security Officers will respond as quickly as possible to any request for assistance, whether it is an emergency or not. Response time is based on current activity load and the urgency of the call. Crimes in progress, traffic accidents and medical emergencies have a higher priority than other types of calls. A Safety & Security Officer will meet with you to gather information and prepare an official report. Based on the information you provide, the officer may contact the local law enforcement agency to have the reporter file a crime report with them as well.
In all instances of criminal activity, the OTC Safety & Security Department works closely with local law enforcement agencies to determine the exact nature of the crime for the purposes of developing a viable case to be forwarded to the Municipal Prosecutor’s Office or the County Prosecutor’s Office for prosecution. All Safety & Security Department incident reports involving students are referred to Student Affairs for review and potential disciplinary action through the campus disciplinary process. Statistics for cases forwarded to Student Affairs that are offenses pursuant to the Clery Act will appear in this report.