Public Safety

Welcome to the State College of Florida Department of Public Safety home page. State College of Florida is vitally concerned about the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and visitors who participate in the many activities which SCF sponsors. A college campus is a great place to learn and grow, but a college campus, like any other community, has its share of crimes and injuries. Although the College does not experience a significant number of criminal acts, we encourage everyone to be aware of potential problems and ask that you join the effort to make SCF a safe and secure environment for everyone.

As required by the 1990 Jeanne Clery Campus Security and Awareness Act, campus crime statistics are available to anyone, upon request, through the Department of Public Safety/Security Services or by link on the SCF website. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota continues a tradition of providing a safe and secure educational environment. The College maintains Safety & Security Services 24-hours per day and is available to respond to any security related request or emergency. College Security also provides many other services to our students, staff and visiting community.

Public Safety Services

Security Escorts

The Department of Public Safety offers security escorts on both campuses for anyone who does not feel comfortable walking alone at night to their vehicle. Public Safety personnel will be dispatched to escort the caller to their vehicle.

First Aid

The Department of Public Safety is fully equipped to provide first aid assistance for any number of non-emergency incidents. For simple ailments, such as cuts and scrapes, bruises and sprains, headaches, etc…, go to our office at:
SCF Bradenton we are located in Building 14 / Room 127.
SCF Venice we are located in Building 500 / Room 501. 
At LWR we are located in Building 2 (MTSC) / Room 105.

Once you call one of the above numbers be prepared to advise the officer that answers about the nature of the illness or injury and your exact location. A first responder will be dispatched. They will call Medical Authorities upon arrival.

Lost and Found

The Department of Public Safety is responsible for all lost-and-found items. If you find an item please report it to Public Safety and we will complete a report attempt to locate owner. If we cannot immediately locate owner, we will log it and hold it for safe keeping. If you have lost an item, please contact us by either calling the above number or checking at our offices.

• SCF Bradenton we are located in Building 14 / Room 127.
• SCF Venice we are located in Building 500 / Room 501. 
• At LWR we are located in Building 2 (MTSC) / Room 105.

Vehicle Assistance

The Department of Public Safety provides assistance for Lockouts, Jumpstarts, and even Fuel Assistance should a member of our SCF community need it. Please contact us at the above numbers.

Student IDs / Parking Rules & Regulations

How to obtain an SCF ID Card / Parking Decal

To obtain an SCF ID card you must first be an actively enrolled SCF student. You are only considered an actively enrolled SCF student if you have completed the enrollment process and are enrolled in classes. Once you have enrolled in classes you may then go to the Public Safety & Security office on any SCF campus, with your state issued ID and Student ID or “G” number, to complete the process.

To obtain a parking decal you will first need to be an actively enrolled SCF student with a SCF ID card. SCF Parking decals are free but you may only be issued one. The decals are plastic cling on type decals which may easily be removed and placed into another vehicle should you need to change vehicles.

Traffic Rules & Regulations

Parking decals are obtained from the department of Public safety and Security offices at SCF Bradenton or Venice. At that time, you will be given a copy of the “Traffic parking Regulations” governing the Use of Vehicles at SCF.” Become familiar with the rules. Violators are subject to appear before the SCF College Student Court and if found guilty, they will be fined in accordance with the specific violation.

The following rules and regulations are in effect 24 hours a day and pertain to all students’, faculty, and staff driving on campus day or evening. These rules have been established for the benefit of each student and employee and are approved by the Student Government Association, College administration, and the SCF Board of Trustees. These rules and regulations are established and enforced to avoid confusion and danger in parking lots. All parking and traffic, including college Student Court, are under the supervision of the Vice President of Student development and Enrollment Services.

1. All motorized vehicles parked at SCF must bear a decal. Decals must be displayed and visible at all times. Visitors must use spaces designated for visitors.
2. Parking decals for students can be obtained at the Department of Public safety and Security.
3. All vehicles of SCF faculty and staff must bear appropriate SCF hang tags. Hang tags are obtained from the Department of Public Safety and Security.
4. Temporary disabled students may apply for a special identification for their vehicles from the Department of Public Safety and Security. Identifications are issued for the specific time period. In order to park in designated spaces for “Handicapped,” a disabled person by state law, must display the parking permit issued by the county tag office. The permit must be attached to the Florida license plate or placed appropriately on the rear view mirror.
5. The college assumes no responsibility for injury to persons or damages to vehicles or its contents at any time it is operated or parked on any SCF campus.
6. All cars must be off the SCF campus by 11 p.m. Owners of vehicles that must be left on property overnight for college trips, or because they are disabled, should contact the Department of Public Safety and Security to indicate how long the vehicle will be left on college property.
7. Student who have decals, but temporarily drive a vehicle without, still must park in designated student parking areas. A visible note must be displayed with the date and parking decal number. This policy is good for one week only.
8. Abandoned vehicles will be towed at the owners’ expense.

Violations & Penalties

The students will be held responsible and penalized for the following infractions:

Improperly parked in a handicap space or blocking the handicap ramp, blocking traffic, parking in a no parking area or parking over the line, no current SCF decal, improper decal or no visible decal, parking in a reserved or visitor’s space, parking a car/van/truck in motorcycle parking. The following moving violations require attending College Student Court; reckless driving, driving against flow of traffic, failure to keep vehicle under control, speeding in excess of the 15 mph speed limit, driving on a surface other than paved, failure to stop at a stop sign, or drag racing. Tickets will not be voided for any reason. Students’ who receive parking tickets can appear before Traffic Court located in the Student Club Hub, Building 14, Room 130. Fine amounts are included in “Schedule of Violations and Penalties/Fines.”

Schedule of Violation / Penalty Fees

Violation Payment & Appeal Process

1. All persons ticketed for parking violations may make payments in person or mail payment by check or money order to the SCF cashier within 10 business days of receiving the ticket. SCF is not responsible for cash payments if mailed.
2. A student may appeal a citation by filing a violations appeal form within 10 business days from the date of violation (indicating a desire to appear before the Student Court).
   • A student who fails to do either 1 or 2, listed above, will be sent a first notice to pay the fine.
   • Any student who has not cleared a violation within 10 business days will be notified that the violation has been sent to the Vice President of student development and Enrollment Services for such action as deemed necessary

See Something, Say Something

If you see something suspicious, tell someone!
What is suspicious behavior?
Suspicious behavior or circumstances can include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Anyone forcibly entering a car or home
• Someone tampering with property
• Strangers loitering or entering rooms, offices, or labs with no apparent legitimate cause
• Someone carrying a weapon
• Strange vehicles parked in your area
• Any behavior that is out of character on a college campus
• Packages left unattended
• Suspicious or noxious odors

If you are unsure, call SCF DPS at Bradenton (941) 752-5550, Venice (941)408-1550, or Lakewood Ranch (941)-348-9847– a false alarm is always better than a crime that could have been prevented.

SCF Safety & Notification Systems

Valcom live outdoor / indoor audio alert system – Speakers are strategically placed throughout the Bradenton and Venice Campuses interiors and exteriors

MySCF and SCF email – sign up for campus alerts through your account

Blackboard Connect – A 3rd party voice and email messaging system used for emergency alerts with free app for smartphones

Emergency Call Boxes – Blue light call boxes are at various locations within the campus and parking lots.

Electronic Systems – The Department of Public Safety monitors intrusion and fire alarms campus wide, with the assistance of a computerized monitoring system. Access into certain facilities is controlled through the use of a proximity card access control system. Localized and centrally monitored access control systems on the Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch campuses.

Closed Circuit Television / Security Cameras (CCTV) – are in use throughout the campus and parking lots on the SCF campuses.

Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT) – Simultaneous broadcast of emergency information by the College’s CIMT Team to the College community via email, text and voice messaging, and digital display boards on campus. The CIMT is charged and empowered by the President with assessing, recommending, and appropriately responding to emergency situations. The first priority is the safety of students and personnel, and then the protection of college property.

Social Media – SCF Communications & Marketing utilizes various social media platforms including Twitter, SCF Website, Media Releases and more.