August 2021

Aug.16, 2021
 
Dear UMB Community:
 
Welcome back to our returning students, and welcome to those who are new to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)! I am so excited to see the friendly faces of our faculty, staff, and students back on our beautiful campus.
 
Your safety is my No. 1 priority, and you can do your part in keeping UMB safe! Our police and security officers can be found across campus, but we can’t be in all places at once. If you see someone or something suspicious, call 911. If you ever feel uneasy, stop in a UMB building and our security officers will be happy to help.
 
Don’t forget about our Safe Walk/Safe Ride. These services are available day or night. You can request a Safe Ride through the Mobile UMB App and a Safe Walk by calling 410-706-6882. 
 
Again, welcome to UMB! Our officers are here to keep you safe and help in any way they can. When you see our police and security officers on campus, be sure to say hello!
 
Sincerely,
 
Thomas Leone
UMB Interim Chief of Police
 
Safety Tip of the Month: Blue Light Phones 
UMB has 31 blue light phones – do you know how to use them? It’s not a panic button, it’s a phone! Press the red button and talk to the police communication operator (PCO) who responds. Tell them your location (the number posted on the phone) and the nature of the emergency so they can send help. Don’t just hit the button and run away! Without telling our PCOs where you are, they won’t be able to dispatch police to your location. 
 
National Night Out
National Night Out was a huge success – thank you to everyone who attended our event! This year, #UMBNightOut featured free food, McGruff the Crime Dog, Baltimore Fire Department engine, video game truck, face painting, giveaways, and so much more! Check out these photos from our event (we were even on the front page of The Baltimore Sun!).
 
UMBPD Training Updates
The UMB Police Department (UMBPD) is proud to offer robust training for our officers, which extends above and beyond local, state, and federal requirements.
 
  • Police officers and police communication operators are receiving mental health first aid training with the School of Nursing.
  • Police officers are receiving trauma-informed policing training with Dr. Kyla Liggett-Creel from the School of Social Work.
  • Security supervisors are attending workplace mediation training with the Center for Dispute Resolution at the Francis King Carey School of Law.
 
UMBPD Receives Community Outreach Award
UMBPD has again been recognized for the outstanding work of the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST). The Maryland Chiefs of Police Association’s Exceptional Police Performance by a Unit/Team/Collaboration Award comes shortly after UMBPD was awarded the prestigious International Association of Chiefs of Police/Walmart Leadership in Community Policing Award for a Midsize Agency. COAST was created by former chief Alice Cary and is now under the direction of Lt. Matthew Johnson. 
 
Kudos for Our Cops (recognizing excellent customer service in our community)
On July 20, security officer Kierra Alsup saw a man faint outside the Community Engagement Center; she immediately requested help from PCO Shalini Chandrakumar. One minute later, Cpl. Thomas Darnell and PFC Karlos McDowell arrived. The man was having trouble breathing, so the Baltimore City Fire Department was called. Cpl. Yale Partlow and PFC Harold Carr III arrived, and Partlow administered three canisters of naloxone in the minutes that followed. The medic arrived nearly 45 minutes after being requested, but thanks to the quick work of these UMBPD officers, the man was saved from an almost certain life-threatening overdose. 
 
We also want to recognize Cpl. Gale Barnes. On July 7, she witnessed an assault in Owings Mills while off-duty. Barnes intervened, identifying herself as a police officer, providing verbal commands, and standing in between the victim and assailant to prevent further injuries. She never touched the assailant, but her commanding presence stopped the assault and she provided aid to the victim before Baltimore County police arrived.
 
Kudos to these UMBPD employees on their exceptional work!
 
UMB Alerts
UMB Alerts is the system used by the Office of Emergency Management and UMBPD to send critical, life-saving emergency information to our entire UMB community. UMB Alerts are only used during emergencies – we never send spam or general updates. All UMB desk phones and UMB email addresses are automatically “opted in” to UMB Alerts. However, please take a moment to add or update your cellphone number to ensure you receive these critical alerts: umaryland.edu/emergency/alerts
 
I Lost My CDC COVID Card! What Should I Do? 
If you lost or damaged your Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination card, don’t panic!
  • If you were vaccinated in Maryland, your information likely was uploaded into Maryland ImmuNet. You can print duplicate signed certifications in the self-service portal: https://md.myir.net/
  • If you were vaccinated at UMMS or UMB, you can get your vaccination information from your health care provider’s self-service portal: https://www.umms.org/ummc/patient-portal
  • Many providers across the country used the CDC’s Vaccine Administration Management System to track vaccinations: https://vams.cdc.gov/vaccineportal/s/recipientlogin
  • None of these work? Contact your health care provider directly.
 
Laboratory Door Signs: Update Emergency Information
Maintaining accurate laboratory door signs is an essential part of protecting worker safety and health. In accordance with UMB’s Maintaining Laboratory Door Signs and Labels policy, all entryways to labs and/or chemical storage areas must display signage that indicates hazards, a principal investigator (PI), and at least one alternate emergency contact. For safety purposes, PIs cannot act as their own emergency contact; contact and emergency numbers are different, and emergency numbers must be non-campus numbers. Use your UMB credentials to request updated signage from MyEHS for free. EHS will deliver and post the signage. Call EHS at 410-706-7055 with any questions/concerns.
 
Please visit umaryland.edu/police for more information
about the UMB Police Department. 
 
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Office of Communications and Public Affairs

620 W. Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201