Bates College - Safety & Security

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Bates is a small campus, and most students describe it as “self-contained.” Some of the college-owned houses spread into the city, but generally, Batesies opt to reside right on their well-lit, well-patrolled campus. Despite the incidents that took place in the past, most students feel safe on campus. Security officers definitely make their presence felt, although not in an imposing way; most security personnel are friendly and more than willing to chat or even hang out with students. Because so many security members ride bikes or walk around, rather than patrolling the campus in vans, they are an obvious presence on campus and very approachable to any students who have questions or concerns. Security members are not campus police—they are much more interested in keeping students safe than in punishing them. Security is not the enemy at Bates, and students here recognize the effort security members put forth in order to keep them safe and truly appreciate the fact that security accomplishes this so non-invasively.

Ever since the rape and murder that occurred several years ago and the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, security at Bates has become much more stringent. Only students have access to residential buildings and must scan their student ID on the keycard sensor in order to enter the dorms. Students must also scan their ID cards to access the gyms and the dining hall, as well as certain academic buildings after 7 p.m. In the event of a campus-wide emergency, security notifies students by e-mail, phone calls, and texting. While security is certainly strict in regards to student safety, security members are still very friendly. Students from other colleges are uniformly amazed by the friendly relationships students enjoy with members of security. There is a different security member responsible for each dorm, and each generally makes an effort to become friendly with the students living there.

Free Profile Tools

Do I Stand A Chance?

Calculate YOUR chances of admission at every school CP covers!

__%

Personality Match

Calculate YOUR personality match with every school CP covers!

__%

What'll It Cost Me?

Estimate your out-of-pocket costs at every school CP covers!

$__,___

Students Speak Out

BatNM says: Bates College 2014 Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies

Security is pretty good on campus,... Security is pretty good on campus, and a lot of students are friends with them. They're only harsh on hard alcohol-it's illegal on college campuses in Maine-but, for the most part, they're really easy-going. There is always tension between Bates and the surrounding Lewiston community, which can result in theft and sometimes violence. 12345 Safety & Security: March 19, 2009 Report

BatKS says: Bates College 2015 Social Sciences

I never feel unsafe, and the... I never feel unsafe, and the campus is pretty secluded within its walls. However, occasionally locals enter campus and cause disturbances. 12345 Safety & Security: March 05, 2009 Report

BatAF says: Bates College 2016 Social Sciences

Security is pretty phenomenal at... Security is pretty phenomenal at Bates. The officers are overall really funny and nice. Crime is typically theft or the occasional altercation between off-campus students and townies, but there has been an increased number of town-gown incidents this year. Most of my friends consider L-A (Lewiston-Aubrun) "sketch," but I've lived near much worse. 12345 Safety & Security: February 17, 2009 Report

BatMS says: Bates College 2016 English Language and Literature

I never feel unsafe on campus at... I never feel unsafe on campus at Bates. It's considerably removed from the community, though you should probably keep doors locked in case of any late-night pranks. Campus security is really understanding and likes to make friends with students. You get two free unlocks when you lock your key in your room before you're fined for it. And, security is pretty lenient about the alcohol policy on campus. As long as you aren't in possession of hard alcohol and aren't being too loud, your Beirut game is all in good fun. 12345 Safety & Security: February 16, 2009 Report

jsawyer says: Bates College 2013 English Language and Literature

Security has the best interests of... Security has the best interests of the students in mind, though they will look the other way for underage drinking, as long as it's beer, not hard alcohol. There is a campus-wide security notification system that contacts students through e-mail, cell phone, and room phone messages and text messages, though it occasionally is at inconvenient times, like 3 a.m. Escorts through Saferide and Safewalk are offered. If you call security, they usually take at least 10 or 15 minutes to arrive. Crime on campus is normally limited, though recently there has been a lot of theft. 12345 Safety & Security: February 15, 2009 Report

Did You Know?

Bates students are issued with whistles as first-years. When a whistle is blown, those nearby are supposed to blow their own whistles and run towards the original whistle, as well as notify security. There is a $75 fine for blowing a whistle without cause.

Bates is located between two hospitals: St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center on Campus Avenue and Central Maine Medical Center on Main Street.

Bates installed a Proximity Card system, in which all dorms are open to all students during certain hours (before midnight on weekdays and before 2 a.m. on weekends). Each student is issued a Proximity Card, which grants him or her access to the building. The system is designed so students may enter the building without removing the card from a pocket.

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Jessie Sawyer
Hometown: Farmington, CT
Major: English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a Spanish minor

As a journalist, Jessie has interviewed two contestants on "The Bachelorette," Doug Gray (lead singer of The Marshall Tucker Band), bestselling novelist Elizabeth Strout, Pete Francis and Bradiggan of Dispatch, and actor Patrick Dempsey

Contributing Author Internship

College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college. Read more about the internship.