Security & Safety

Policy

It is the policy of the Florida A&M University College of Law that only authorized persons are allowed entry to areas within the College of Law.

 

Procedures

GENERAL

Each employee/student will have their Rattler photo identification card prominently displayed at all times while in the College of Law building.

All secured doors may be opened, where authorized, with either an issued key or proximity access card.

Employees shall carry/use their key and proxy card to move throughout the building.

Access into the stairwells will always be available for emergency exit of the building.

Employees/students shall ensure that unauthorized persons do not follow any employee/student through a security door.

Propping of entry/exit doors will not be allowed.

All employees remain responsible for the security of their assigned work areas and for locking doors to those areas as may be necessary.

 

SECURED ACCESS

2.1 PUBLIC ENTRANCE
Security personnel are responsible for properly securing the public-entrance doors. After normal business hours, the security personnel shall control non-employee/student access to the public doors. The front entry doors will be locked at 6:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, and at all times on Saturdays and Sundays. The authorized proxy card will be used to gain entry after the doors are locked. Authorized visitors will be admitted by security.

2.2 FIRST FLOOR ATRIUM AREA
The first floor atrium area leading to the elevators, stairways, first floor suites and library shall be monitored by security at all times that the College of Law is open to the public.

2.3 ALL OTHER INTERIOR DOORS
Doors to offices and other areas within the interior of the building should be secured, where possible, when not in use.

 

VISITORS

Visitors to areas other than the library will sign in, obtain a color coded visitors badge, and be escorted to their destinations. Upon completion of the visit, the visitor will be directed to the Security Desk to sign out. The Security Desk will ensure that the visitor’s badge is returned and that the visitor signs out in the visitor’s log. Visitors to the library shall sign in, receive the appropriate visitor’s badge and proceed to the library. The public will only have access to the first and second floor areas of the library. The Circulation Desk and the Microfiche Room (126) are available to the public on the first floor. Resource books are available on the second floor. The badges will be color coded according to the areas being visited.

The floor designated colors are as follows:

First and Second Floor Library: Yellow
Admissions/Operations: Green
Clinic: Purple
Third Floor: Orange
Multiple Floors: Red

Visitors cleared by staff, requiring access to multiple floors, will receive a Red visitor’s badge. Any person inside the College of Law that is not an employee/student should have a visitor’s badge prominently displayed upon their clothing, unless otherwise indicated below. Every employee should question any visitor not displaying this identification, direct them to the security desk, and notify the security office of the security breach. Exceptions may be made by the Deans of the College of Law.

Visitors from other governmental agencies, and businesses contracted to provide services within the College of Law, will be required to display identification from their agency, while in the building. If the visitor does not have the identifying clothing or badge, they will be issued a College of Law visitor’s badge. Generally, it is not necessary for known repeat visitors such as postal workers, Federal Express, Honeywell, etc. to sign the log while conducting business in the building.

 

ACCESS CONTROL PROXIMITY CARDS

4.1 ISSUANCE OF CARDS
The proximity card is used to access locked areas authorized to the user. The Security Office, Room 173, will issue and log all access control cards. All employees and students will be issued an access control card. Other cards may be issued at the discretion of the Dean of the College.

4.2 ACCESS CARD OPERATION
The access control cards will allow employees/students to place the card within a 3” proximity to the card reader to activate the unlocking mechanism. If a card is inoperable or malfunctioning, contact the Security Office as soon as possible. Once the card has been “read,” the employee’s/student’s information will be maintained in a database, to include which door was activated and the date/time of entry. All employees/students shall be held responsible for the activity attributed to their cards, and for this reason, there shall be no “loaning out” of an access card. Each issued access card contains coded information regarding authorized hours and locations of access granted to the user. All card readers are individually programmed to lock doors at specified times, or to permit entrance only by the use of authorized access cards.

4.3 REPLACEMENT PROCESS

4.3.1 LOST CARDS
As soon as possible, the employee/student shall contact the security office to report a lost card. The card will immediately be deactivated to ensure the integrity of the security system. There will be a charge of $15.00, as set by the Rattler Card Office, for the replacement of lost Rattler cards. There is also a $15.00 charge to replace proximity cards.

4.3.2 DAMAGE REPLACEMENT
Replacement of a damaged card, or one that no longer operates, shall be completed by presenting the damaged card to the Security Office. Employees/students are responsible for paying for a replacement card if the employee/student caused the damage.

 

RATTLER IDENTIFICATION CARD

The Rattler Identification card, containing a picture of the member, is the official identification card for the College of Law. This identification should be displayed prominently upon the clothing at all times the member is in the College of Law building. Anyone not displaying the official identification is subject to challenge by security officers or other members of the College of Law.

 

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

Color closed circuit television security cameras have been placed at various points throughout the College of Law Building. These cameras will be monitored mainly from the security desk, but they can also be monitored from other offices in the building. Recorded images will be maintained by the College of Law for a specified period of time. The cameras are to provide additional security and protection for employees/students at the College of Law. After normal hours of operation, the campus can be monitored by visual and audio surveillance.