Report a Crime

Reporting a Crime

Anyone may report a crime, suspicious activity or an emergency 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

  • To report a crime or suspicious activity, call police dispatch at 703.764.5000.
  • For immediate police assistance, dial 911.

A NOVA police officer, security officer or outside police officer will respond.

All NOVA students, staff, faculty and guests who witness a crime or become a victim or who are involved in an emergency should call police dispatch or 911 for assistance. If you call 911, dispatchers at the local dispatch center will notify the College’s police dispatch immediately, and an officer will respond as soon as possible. Emergency call boxes connect directly to NOVA police dispatch and are prominently located in or near NOVA parking lots, classrooms and buildings. The facilities department at each campus tests all call boxes monthly to ensure service. Officers on duty will immediately respond to any emergency call for service.

Students, staff, faculty and guests who witness or are victims of a crime on a NOVA campus, its adjacent public areas and property under NOVA control are encouraged to make a formal Clery report. You can make a report in person directly to any NOVA officer or at any campus police office by calling Dispatch or by using NOVA form 105-174. Many of these crime reports will be included in the College’s Annual Security Report.

Every crime reported to the College Police is thoroughly investigated. All responses, such as issuance of a warning, referrals, summons or arrest/warrant issued will be documented.

Call Boxes

A blue light marks campus emergency call boxes, making them clearly visible at night. Remember to push the red button to talk directly to police personnel (dispatch) and release it to listen. Call boxes are located in or near all campus parking lots and at many other indoor and external campus locations. Call Boxes are for Emergency Use Only and should not be activated to request room openings or for nonemergency issues. 

Panic Dialers

The telephones in campus classrooms, offices and other selected locations are equipped with “panic buttons.” By activating the panic dialer, a message that assistance is needed at that telephone’s location is automatically sent to the College Police without having to make a traditional voice call. Activation of the panic dialer from on-campus telephones will generate an immediate police response (for off–campus sites, College Police will make contact to determine the appropriate response), even if the activation was accidental. In an emergency, dial 911 and do not use the panic dialer.

LiveSafe

In our continuing commitment to the highest level of campus safety, NOVA has launched a new mobile safety app called LiveSafe. The LiveSafe app will improve communication between students, faculty, staff and NOVA Police and will facilitate emergency response in critical situations. Our goal is to work with you to help build a safer campus.

The LiveSafe app allows you to:

  • Report tips to or request emergency services anonymously from NOVA Police.
  • Send your location to NOVA Police.
  • Let friends or family monitor your movements so you never have to walk alone.
  • Share your concerns and suggestions with NOVA Police.
  • Have critical safety information at your fingertips.

Getting the app is fast, easy and FREE!

  • Visit the iTunes or Google Play Store and download the LiveSafe app (blue shield icon).
  • Choose NOVA from the list of schools.

Fill in your name and contact info, so we can reach you in the event of an emergency.

Campus Security Authorities (CSA)

At NOVA, crimes may also be reported to a Campus Security Authority (CSA). The Clery Act generally defines a CSA as any campus personnel who have significant responsibility for student and campus activities. Therefore, crime occurrences can be reported to employees, known as Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), who have a legal obligation to file a report of suspected criminal activity with the NOVA Police Department to ensure statistical inclusion of all crimes as specified by the Clery Act in the College Annual Security Report. These crimes can also be reported anonymously using the Campus Security Authority Jeanne Clery Act Statistics Incident Report (Form 105-174).

Reportable crimes are those that occur on or near college property, including on-campus property, property immediately adjacent to the campus and off-campus property owned or controlled by the College.

CSAs include:

  • Campus police department or campus security department personnel.
  • Any individual(s) who have responsibility for campus security, but who do not constitute a campus police or campus security department, such as individual responsible for monitoring entrances on to institutional property.
  • Any individual/organization specified in an institution’s statement of campus security policy as an individual or organization to which students and employees should report criminal offenses.
  • An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for students and campus activities.

NOVA College/Campus faculty and staff are identified as CSAs on a semester basis by members of the Clery Committee. Pastoral and professional counselors are exempt from being CSAs.

  • Pastoral Counselor: A person who is associated with a religious order or denomination is recognized by that religious order or denomination as someone who provides confidential counseling and is functioning within the scope of that recognition as a pastoral counselor.
  • Professional Counselor: A person whose official responsibilities include providing mental health counseling to members of the institution’s community and who is functioning within the scope of his or her license or certification. This definition applies even to professional counselors who are not employees of the institution, but are under contract to provide counseling at the institution.
  • At NOVA, Academic Counselors are not considered professional counselors as defined by Clery, and therefore, they are CSAs.