Handling Obscene/Distrubing Telephone Calls

HANDLING DISTURBING/OBSCENE TELEPHONE CALLS

Hang Up when you realize the call is intended to harass or disturb you. Don't answer questions on the phone that you wouldn't answer if asked by a stranger on the street.
Don't panic and don't give out any information such as your name and address.
Print and fill out the attached log while the call is still fresh in your mind. Note the date and time of calls, whether the call originated on or off campus (single ring or double ring), male or female, older or younger sounding, pleasant, nasal or raspy voice, what the person said...
Call the Grand Rapids Police Department at 456-3400 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm to report the incident. Make sure to note the name of the officer you spoke with and the incident number on your log. Turn the log in to Maureen Maher in the Switchboard office (Room 57 in the basement of the Academic Building) so she can track the calls with the phone company.
If you are receiving harassing or threatening phone mail messages, SAVE the messages and report them to Maureen or Campus Safety. Do not forward them - it erases the time of the message and where it originated.
If you are simply receiving annoyance calls (hang ups, etc), these calls are often placed by someone you know. Don't discuss these calls with others. The person who is trying to annoy you is just waiting to hear that he/she was successful.

- CALL LOG -
Your name:
Your room#:
Your phone number:
Date/time of call:
Was the call harassing? obscene? threatening?
Exactly what was said:

Name of Campus Safety or GRPD officer taking your report:
Campus Safety or GRPD case #:

Serve - Protect - Assist

Department of Campus Safety / 1607 Robinson Rd. S.E. / Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506-1799 / (616) 632-2462