Campus Safety Voices

Prioritizing the safety of students and staff on school campuses is expected, and those expectations have grown exponentially in recent years. Prior to this significant shift, safety and security operations often fell under the umbrella of facilities management. While both departments share common goals related to maintaining a safe and secure environment, separating public safety and facilities m...

During a school emergency, it is vital that campus leaders can quickly disseminate critical information to students, staff, and visitors to mitigate potential impact. Utilizing multiple communication channels is also critical, and should include digital signage. Using digital signage software, important messages can be displayed both on television screens and personal devices. And while broadcasti...

In July 2023, Connecticut's 12 previously independent community colleges merged to create Connecticut State Community College (CSCC), making it the fifth-largest community college in the country. Six months prior to the official merger, Christopher Chute was hired as CSCC's chief of police, tasked with establishing uniform policies, procedures, and preparedness across the various campuse...

During routine police patrols, officers regularly navigate assigned areas in their vehicles, monitoring for suspicious activity, enforcing traffic laws, and responding to calls for service. While these are necessary functions of a police department, just as important is the need for officers to ingrain themselves in the fabric of a community. This is particularly true for law enforcement officers...

Graduation season is upon us, and while it's a time for celebration, it is also a time that leaves campuses vulnerable to security threats.  Over the years, more and more schools, particularly colleges and universities, have turned to weapons detection systems to enhance their graduation safety and security plans.  In this interview, Peter Evans, CEO of Xtract One Technologies, a weapons dete...

Low attrition rates are always a goal for police and public safety departments, but various factors have made that particularly difficult in recent years. A 2023 study found police resignations increased 47% from 2019 to 2022. Retirements also rose by 19% during the same period, and new officer hiring dropped by 5%. Despite these statistics, St. Louis University's Public Safety Department has...

In recent years, many college campuses have transitioned from unarmed campus security or police departments to armed or hybrid ones. While this massive undertaking requires much research and planning, Felix Martinez, director of public safety at St. Mary's College of Maryland, says transparency was always a top priority when his campus was considering the switch. In this discussion, Martinez...

When Tiffany Justice joined Goucher College as the director of campus safety, the department was using contract security. Justice successfully advocated for switching the department to in-house security, allowing her to hand-pick a team that genuinely believes in the department's mission and values. During this interview, Justice shares: Her motivations behind transitioning to in-house securi...

Various studies have shown the positive impact therapy animals have on the mental health of college students, and one source estimates 60% of U.S. colleges and universities have a pet therapy program in place. One of the biggest hesitations among campus safety leaders in considering animal therapy programs is the assumption that it is costly. Ramona Washington, chief of the University of North Tex...

Since the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, seven states have established versions of Alyssa's Law, mandating all public elementary and secondary school buildings be equipped with silent panic alarms that directly notify law enforcement of an incident. Similar legislation is also pending in 13 other states. In this interview, Lauren Kravetz, VP of Government Affairs at Intrad...

U.S. motorists can't recall 68% of key information following a crash and 44% failed to identify the car at fault for a traffic incident, according to recent study . Another study found 70% of drivers want a build-in dashboard camera on their next new vehicle. Whatever the reason, footage from dash cams has been used countless times in motor vehicle crash investigations. Several years ago, Lib...

Many schools have behavioral threat assessment and management systems in place that monitor student behavior for warning signs of potential violence. The primary goal of these technologies is to evaluate the difference between making a threat and posing a threat to a school community, and then building a plan that supports the safety of the entire community. A major issue, however, is the lack of...

While there are ongoing discussions within the K-12 world about banning cell phones in the classroom, there are many scenarios where quick access to a cellular device could improve student and staff safety.  However, K-12 schools and college campuses historically have poor cellular coverage as many educational buildings were erected well before cell phones were invented. Poor cellular connectivity...

On college campuses, sexual assaults account for 43% of total on-campus crimes. Marginalized groups are at an even higher risk for sexual violence, including people of color and LGBTQ+ students. To address these concerns, Sewanee: The University of the South, established the C.P.R. in Action Initiative, a comprehensive program that integrates Compliance, Prevention, and Resources to address sexual...

More than 80% of college students are struggling emotionally at least somewhat, with more than 25% reporting they are struggling significantly, according to one recent report. Addressing these mental health challenges can be particularly difficult for smaller colleges with fewer financial resources.  Eight years ago, the Endeavor Foundation, a nonprofit, convened a group of presidents from 12 extr...

Campus Safety spoke with University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) Chief and Assistant Vice President Linda Stump-Kurnick about her agency’s experience with accreditation. It is accredited by four separate accreditation bodies: CALEA, IACLEA, the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA), and the Florida Telecommunications Accreditation Commission (FLA-TAC). Chief Stump-Kurni...

Cardiac arrest doesn’t just happen to adults who are middle aged or elderly. America was reminded of this fact on January 2, 2023, when 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field from a heart attack he experienced during his team’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fortunately, Hamlin was resuscitated with CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED). Hamlin’s hea...

In 2023, there were 11,311 security services businesses in the United States, according to IBIS. Campus leaders tasked with making security purchase decisions have to choose what solutions they want to prioritize and then decide who they want to buy them from. How can the options be narrowed down? Rich Payne, safety director at Academy District 20 (ASD20) in Colorado and a 2024 Campus Safety Direc...

Twenty-two years ago, Kelli Lotito was hired as a physical education teacher at Regis Jesuit High School in Colorado. Lotito worked her way up the ranks, becoming the athletic director before transitioning into the role of dean of students for 15 years.  Lotito just finished her fourth year as the school’s safety and security director, and has used her past job experiences to garner buy-in from va...

A year and a half ago, student community relations officers (SACROs) were added to Brentwood Union Free School District’s school safety team. These non-traditional school safety employees were added when Byron McCray, the district’s director of school safety and chief emergency management officer and a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, noticed limited interactions between students...

Like many other communities, stakeholders from the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) began questioning the role of school resources officers following the murder of George Floyd. To evaluate whether SROs were right for their district, BVSD hired an external facilitator with expertise in equity and community engagement who developed the BVSD Equity Council. More than 900 community members appli...

The U.S. is currently experiencing a labor shortage, and nowhere is that being experienced more than in law enforcement. In 2022, officer turnover and resignations were up 47% compared to 2019. Additionally, retirements were up 19%, according to a survey from the Police Executive Research Forum.   College campus public safety has also been greatly impacted by the current tight labor market. Florid...

It’s no secret that a key ingredient to having an effective campus public safety department is ensuring officers are paid a competitive wage. However, since the pandemic, keeping officer salaries competitive has become a significant challenge with the inflation rate skyrocketing to 7% in 2021 and 6.5% the following year. Although inflation dropped quite a bit in 2023 and this year, it’s still high...

Communication failures have played a significant role in many school tragedies. While we can't fully prevent human and technological errors, there are ways to improve emergency response without breaking the bank. Donald Webster, Chief of Campus Safety at Kalamazoo Public Schools and a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, turned to several available grants to help improve communic...

Lockdown drills have become a standard part of school security across the United States. Although it is important to feel prepared to respond to a school emergency, these drills often elicit anxiety, fear, and sometimes trauma among students and staff. Ian Lopez, director of safety and security for the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado and a 2024 K-12 Campus Safety Director of the Year fina...