Mercy College has been a safe institution over the past three years across all campuses, according to an annual security report. Over the three years, most of the arrests have occurred on public property outside of Mercy’s campuses.

Outside of a false bomb threat over this past summer and residential students discovering a single bullet in a dryer in Founder’s Hall the previous Spring semester, there aren’t too many events to alarm Mercy’s security.

On campus, the most common offenses happen to be violations of student conduct, which is having alcohol or drugs within the residential areas on school property. Still, there have been fewer than 70 violations spanning from 2019-2021 for each violation.

There have been no violent crimes reported, putting students and faculty at ease.

In 2019, there was one report of stalking.  In 2019 there were three reports of burglary, none in 2020 and one in 2021. Regarding dating violence, there were two counts in 2019 off-campus.

In 2021, there were 25 instances of liquor law violations and 19 of drug abuse violations. None led to arrests.

Executive Director for Campus Safety and Emergency Management for Mercy, Konrad Motyka, said  “My team and I need to know who is here (on campus) to keep everyone safe.”

The Dobbs Ferry campus is open to the public. There are no gates or barriers that block the school off from the town, where Mercy sits in the middle. From the bus line to the metro, or even the trail at the entrance of the campus, there are multiple entry points on the Dobbs Ferry campus. For this, the security team is on both foot and mobile patrol throughout the day to ensure everything is going the way it should.

His team regulates the traffic on campus and lets the town know what to expect. They are able to tell how many cars will be coming through, with the cars registered and the parking passes, as well as the number of deliveries. Mercy even regulates the noise level.

The tightest restrictions are operated on the residential halls as everyone is adjusting to the pandemic.

Dobbs Ferry is a safe area within itself and maintains a low crime rate, Motyka said. Mercy doesn’t seem to disrupt this and adds to the safe community.

“To keep everyone on the same board and live within this community, there is one standard of behavior for everyone,” said Motyka.

The Bronx and Manhattan campuses both require a keycard to enter the facility. It is unlikely for pedestrians to enter these buildings, so students are safe when they are inside. Problems rise after students leave campus grounds and commute using public transportation.

The Manhattan campus is in the middle of Herald Square and next door is the “The World’s Largest Store” Macy, so there is a lot of non-Mercy foot traffic. Also, the Bronx neighborhood has not been in the safest shape these last couple of months.

Even though students aren’t on the campus of Mercy College, everyone within the Mercy College Department of Campus Safety is there to ensure the safety of the community.

On the Mercy College website, the Campus Safety tab has every listed to actively assist in the mission and help to make Mercy College the best learning environment possible. It includes Emergency Response Plans, active shooter resources, crime prevention tips, the lost and found, and campus safety contact information.

The Mavericks Safe app provides students with access to health and safety resources, emergency plans and campus support services.

Mercy Alert, is the emergency notification system alerts for students, faculty and staff when events, on or off campus, threaten safety. Sign up for alerts at mercy.regroup.com.