Campus Security

Moraine Valley always strives to uphold a safe and secure environment for our students, faculty, and staff. To support this goal, we utilize an array of technology to help us provide round-the-clock protection for our college community.

• Blue light panic buttons located in parking lots that dial directly into our dispatch center
• Emergency phones in campus buildings
• Over 120 video cameras throughout campus with plans to have 15 more installed by fall semester, including one with night-vision capabilities
• Emergency notification system that allows us to simultaneously contact every student for whom we have a telephone number and notify them of school closings and emergencies
• Recently updated public address system that includes warning tones and increased speaker volume that can be heard throughout all campus facilities
• Forty emergency rechargeable lanterns for use during power outages
• Web site and student e-mail systems to provide important information to students during a crisis
• Use of text messaging to inform students if an emergency may be forthcoming
• Photo identification cards for students

This technology is supported by our exceptional Moraine Valley Police Department, which is a state-level police department that includes a professionally staffed 911 dispatch center and is operational 24/7, 365 days a year. Our campus police officers are fully qualified and commissioned. They each have met the requirements that are mandated and regulated by the Illinois Compiled Statutes and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Community service officers are stationed in each building during all hours the college is open.

To expand our resources, we maintain inter-agency agreements with neighboring police departments that will assist our officers in a crisis. The North Palos Fire Protection District will respond to any fire or hazardous material emergencies.

This year, under the direction of the Police Department, the college created a Pandemic Planning/All-Hazards Response Task Force, developed emergency-response training for staff, instituted a staff training program on campus violence and preparedness, and produced a plan for crisis communications. This plan is a part of Moraine Valley’s overall emergency response plan, which has long been in place to help the college appropriately handle a crisis.

“We are fully committed to keeping our campus safe,” says Police Chief Patrick O’Connor. “Our officers participate in ongoing training, and we continually explore technology to ensure we are maintaining systems and practices that protect our students. The safety and well-being of each person on our campus is the primary purpose of our department.”

For more information, contact the Police Department at (708) 974-5555.