Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of frequently asked questions and answers which viewers may find helpful.
FAQ's
Q. Where is the BIDMC Public Safety Department Located?
Q. What is the difference between BIDMC Police Officers & Public Safety officers?
Q. Can I make a report over the phone?
Q. Why does it sometimes take a while for an officer to respond to take my report?
Q. If I had something stolen from campus, do I need to contact other police departments and report it as stolen to them as well?
Q. Does the BIDMC Public Safety Department disseminate incident reports to the general public?
Q. How can I compliment or complain about police / security service?
Q. I am applying for a job, internship/fellowship, or professional license and need to demonstrate that I have never been arrested and have a clean criminal record, can Public Safety verify this information?
Q. I have a special event or function and require several rooms unlocked and parking for my guests. What should I do to have these needs met?
Q. I am aware of suspicious activity that could be criminal in nature or have information that I think the police should know about but I don’t want to get personally involved. What can I do?
Q. Where is the BIDMC Public Safety Department Located?
A. The Public Safety office is located on the first floor of the Farr Building, room 132, located on the medical center's west campus.
Q. What is the difference between BIDMC Police Officers & Public Safety officers?
A. BIDMC police officers are sworn Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs and Special State Police officers and are authorized to makes arrests under M.G.L. Ch. 22, Sect. 63 for criminal offenses committed in or upon lands or structures owned, used, or occupied by the medical center, or in places where medical center business is conducted. Public Safety officers are civilian security officers whose primary duties are access control, patrolling the medical center main campuses, as well as performing dispatching duties.
Q. Can I make a report over the phone?
A. It depends upon the type of crime, incident or information you wish to report to the department. Some situations are best handled by having an officer dispatched to your location to contact you for more information concerning the situation at hand. In some cases, depending on the circumstances and type of report, the report can be taken over the telephone by an officer.
Q. Why does it sometimes take a while for an officer to respond to take my report?
A. All calls received by the department are prioritized by urgency. Emergency calls are given higher priority than non-emergency calls. If the officer assigned to your patrol area is unavailable, depending upon the call priority and how long the area officer will be busy, the call will either be dispatched to another officer or held until your area officer is available. All calls are important and services will be rendered as soon as reasonably possible.
Q. If I had something stolen from campus, do I need to contact other police departments and report it as stolen to them as well?
A. No. In most cases, if the property in question is stolen from campus or property otherwise under the control of medical center, the Public Safety Department has jurisdiction in these cases. Therefore, it would not be necessary to report it to another outside police agency.
Q. Does the BIDMC Public Safety Department disseminate incident reports to the general public?
A. No. In the interest of maintaining community members' privacy, the BIDMC Public Safety Department does not disseminate incident reports to the general public. Because BIDMC Public Safety is a private police agency, it is not required under the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Public Record Law to disseminate police reports to the public. The Public Safety Department will provide copies of incident reports for theft or motor vehicle accident victims directly to their insurance companies when making a claims for reimbursement under their insurance policies. If you are a theft or accident victim and want to request a report, please contact the Public Safety office directly with the contact information for the insurance representative handling your claim and a copy will be faxed to them.
Q. How can I compliment or complain about police / security service?
A. You may either contact the Public Safety dispatch center at 617-632-9111 and ask to speak to the Shift Commander or use the contact form located on the contact us page. Although you may remain anonymous, parties are encouraged to leave their name and contact information so that they may be contacted to follow up on the situation.
Q. I am applying for a job, internship/fellowship, or professional license and need to demonstrate that I have never been arrested and have a clean criminal record, can Public Safety verify this information?
A. Unfortunately the Public Safety Department cannot write letters stating that a person has never been arrested or provide people with copies of their criminal records (CORI). To obtain a copy of this information you will need to contact the Massachusetts Criminal History Systems Board (CHSB). To download a request form and instructions visit our download forms page. For additional information, click here to visit the CHSB CORI website.
Q. I have a special event or function and require several rooms unlocked and parking for my guests. What should I do to have these needs met?
A. Parking related needs are addressed by parking services. They can be contacted at 617-667-3035 for further information.
It is highly recommended that you should make any arrangements concerning the use of facilities with the appropriate & authorized personnel who have care and control of the facilities in question.
Should services be required from the Medical Center Public Safety Department to access rooms to certain facilities, please complete the events form as soon as possible and fax to 617-632-8303.
You may also follow up your submitted request with a phone call to Public Safety in order to ensure the form was received at 617-632-9112.
Q. I am aware of suspicious activity that could be criminal in nature or have information that I think the police should know about but I don’t want to get personally involved. What can I do?
A. You can either contact the Public Safety dispatch center via telephone or use the contact form available on the contact us page. Please be advised that the contact form should not be used for reporting emergency situations or actively occurring crimes. To report an emergency or crime in progress call the Public Safety dispatch center directly. Callers may remain anonymous.
