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 management is a crucial consideration for many campuses.In this interview, Adam Reid, Vice President of Public Safety, Health and Emergency Management at Montgomery College and a 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year winner, reflects on his experience with extracting the school's public safety department from facilities management to create its own department.Reid shares:The benefits of pulling safety and security out of facilities management (10:12) Technological improvements made since the department's creation (17:38)The challenges of having multiple campuses and how he has addressed those challenges (00:50)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 broadcasting important messages during an incident is critical, often left out of the discussion of campus messaging is the role it plays in preventing emergencies.In this interview, Eric Henry, senior vice president of business architecture at Carousel Signage, a campus messaging software company, discusses:The most common challenges school campuses face regarding emergency messaging (0:38)How campus messaging can be used to improve student wellness and prevent school emergencies (2:17)How Carousel Signage helps simplify emergency messaging for schools (7:33)His predictions for what's next in emergency messaging (10:48)NOTE: Carousel Signage will be exhibiting at the upcoming Campus Safety Conference, happening July 21-23 in Austin. Visit https://campussafetyconference.com/ for more information.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 campuses. While the challenges of merging a dozen campuses are plentiful, Chute, a 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, was ready to face those challenges head on.In this interview, Chute shares:A general overview of the merger (0:35)The many challenges he faced in the first few months on the job (10:40)What he is most proud of when reflecting on the last two years (15:04)NOTE: The 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year winners will be announced at this summer’s national Campus Safety Conference, happening July 21-23 in Austin. Visit https://campussafetyconference.com/ for more information.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 who work on educational campuses.In this interview, Dr. Jennifer Griffin, Chief of Police and Vice President of Public Safety at Temple University and a 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, shares her strategies for increasing officer visibility while also improving safety and security (0:43).Griffin also sharesHow Temple collaborates with the Philadelphia Police Department (4:39)Her inspiration for establishing the Student Safety Advisory Committee (12:23)How her team has created opportunities for students to learn more about policing (15:25)NOTE: The 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year winners will be announced at this summer’s national Campus Safety Conference, happening July 21-23 in Austin. Visit https://campussafetyconference.com/ for more information.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:• Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazine• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305• YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 detection company, discusses:The challenges of securing graduation ceremonies (0:28 and 5:54)How to quell fears surrounding weapons detection (3:59)Weapons detection policies and procedures must-haves for graduation ceremonies (8:17)The ancillary benefits of deploying weapons detection systems on campus (9:59)A recent install at Bowie State University and the school's main goals (15:16)Xtract One's recent awarding of the Department of Homeland Security's SAFETY Act designation (18:07)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 its lowest attrition rate in years. During this interview, Associate Vice President and Chief Melinda Heikkinen, a 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, discusses the methods she uses to keep attrition low (5:13), as well as:How she improved the school's safety app (0:39 and 3:17)How the department ensures safety protocols are sensitive to the needs of all students, particularly those from marginalized communities (1:51)NOTE: The 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year winners will be announced at this summer’s national Campus Safety Conference, happening July 21-23 in Austin. Visit https://campussafetyconference.com/ for more information.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 discusses how he remained transparent throughout the transition and emphasized time and time again that weapons are merely one of many tools and an absolute last resort for de-escalating a situation (7:23).Martinez also shared: How he has helped improve officer morale (2:34)How he views community policing (3:41)How he obtained a $375,000 grant for security cameras (12:15)NOTE: The 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year winners will be announced at this summer’s national Campus Safety Conference, happening July 21-23 in Austin. Visit https://campussafetyconference.com/ for more information.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 security (3:59)Challenges she faced during the transition (5:31)The benefits of to in-house security (6:58)Advice for college campuses that might be considering a similar endeavor (9:05)Her motivation behind rewriting the department's mission statement and what the new statement emphasizes (0:33)*NOTE: The 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year winners will be announced at this summer’s national Campus Safety Conference, happening July 21-23 in Austin. Visit https://campussafetyconference.com/ for more information.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 Texas (UNT) Police Department and a 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year Finalist, shares her experience with procuring a therapy dog, including associated costs and its benefits for both students and staff (8:43-16:46).During this interview, Washington also discusses:The establishment of a threat assessment sergeant position within the department (0:31)Incidents that have showed the importance of this position (5:33)NOTE: The 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year winners will be announced at this summer’s national Campus Safety Conference, happening July 21-23 in Austin. Visit https://campussafetyconference.com/ for more information.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 Intrado Life & Safety, discusses why she believes a federal version of Alyssa's Law could have a transformative impact school safety nationwide (1:11). Kravetz also discusses:Two federal versions of Alyssa's Law currently being considered (4:48)Strategies schools and agencies have garnered to ensure unified integration between schools, law enforcement, and emergency first responders (12:28)Which federal agencies should be involved in establishing guidelines for a federal Alyssa's Law (15:18)Her predictions on the timeline for the passing of a federal Alyssa's Law (17:14)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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, Liberty Public School District 53 in Liberty, Mo., used footage from school bus surveillance cameras to apprehend a hit-and-run driver who rear-ended a school bus (15:47)."I was in the bus on the video [live stream] before anything happened. We actually could see the car, get a description, and the driver got the license," Jeff Baird, the district's former transportation manager who now works for Transportant, told Campus Safety. "Within 17 minutes, the police had the car apprehended based on the direction he turned and that's unheard of. I could also look in at the five cameras and see that no kids were hurt."In this interview, Baird also shares:How the district used footage for a student wellness investigation (18:10)Other school bus safety solution capabilities that enhance student safety (13:58)What he thinks are some must-haves for school bus safety technology solutions (19:00)Why school bus drivers must be included in school safety discussions (1:35)An incident at Liberty that highlights the importance of school bus driver training (3:25)The importance of sharing student medical concerns with school bus drivers (11:33)Challenges he faced as transportation manager (5:04)What he wishes he knew in his role as transportation manager that would have helped him do his job even better (21:13)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 information sharing between parties that could potentially help with providing student supports. Many schools have attributed prevented acts of violence or self-harm to a campus culture that urges and prioritizes sharing vital information with multiple stakeholders.Campus Safety spoke with Rohan Galloway-Dawkins, Chief Product Officer at Versaterm, about:The benefits of digitizing and centralizing knowledge to help authorized staff identify warning signs among students (1:22)Who he recommends be a part of monitoring student data (4:36)Strategies for developing action plans to intervene once a concerning behavior is identified (7:33)Why there is no one-size-fits-all plan for supporting students who exhibit warning signs of potential violence (8:50)Funding available for schools looking to implement case management technology (10:45)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 also hinders the effective integration of educational technology in classrooms, something that will only become more prevalent as artificial intelligence capabilities continue to grow.In this interview with Campus Safety, Stephen Kowal, Chief Commercial Officer of Nextivity, a telecommunications company, discusses:His views on cell phones bans or restrictions in schools (0:34 and 11:03)The potential dangers of banning cell phones in schools (3:47)Three different types of connectivity and how they impact schools (5:18)Why some schools may not be prioritizing connectivity in new builds (8:16)Channels of funding schools can access for improved connectivity (9:42)Additional advice for schools that may be having issues with connectivity (13:19)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 violence and improve the overall safety and well-being of all students.C.P.R. in Action received the 2024 Clery Center Campus Safety Impact Award which recognizes a program or initiative that enhances safety on a college campus through innovation, collaboration, and equity.Dr. Sylvia Gray, Sewanee’s Senior Director of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX, and Dr. Rachel Fredericks, Sewanee’s Director of Inclusive Excellence, spoke with Campus Safety about the program, including:How data was used to inform the establishment of C.P.R. in Action (2:57)Who was involved in creating the C.P.R. in Action Initiative (5:26)The impact the initiative has made since it was established in 2021 (8:16)Direct feedback received from students and faculty about the initiative (12:01)Advice for campuses looking to mitigate sexual violence on campus (15:24)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 extremely small liberal arts colleges -- think 750 students or less -- to share their struggles and ideas. This February, the foundation announced $3 million in grant funding for colleges within the collaborative to develop and implement pilot projects that address student wellness. In this interview, Ali Tartaglia, associate dean and director of integrative wellness at Bennington College, a participating campus, and Isabel Roche, executive director for special programs in higher education at the Endeavor Foundation, discuss the benefits of the collaboration as well as how Bennington is using the funding to implement the Applied Suicidal Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) Program.During this discussion, Tartaglia and Roche also share:What makes ASIST a comprehensive program (17:39)More about the grants provided by the Endeavor Foundation (12:45)Advice from colleges looking to obtain grant money for improving mental health (19:33)Action items for campuses to improve student mental health (23:16)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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-Kurnick has also served as a CALEA assessor for the past 10 years and traveled to other agencies to conduct assessments, completing 48 assessments to date.Her department’s numerous accreditations is just one reason why she was named the 2024 Campus Safety Higher Education and Healthcare Director of the Year.In our interview, Stump-Kurnick discusses not only the boost in professionalism and liability avoidance benefits of accreditation, but also how it helps her cross-train UFPD staff who then can mentor others in the department.She then put on her CALEA assessor hat to offer some sage advice to other college campuses thinking about getting accredited.In this interview, Chief Stump-Kurnick describes:How she got involved in the accreditation process. 2:02How accreditation helps her cross-train her staff: 6:30Maintaining all of her department’s accreditations: 10:30Suggestions to other college campus police departments considering accreditation: 11:43The qualities she looks for in an agency when she is assessing them for accreditation: 13:15CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 health scare -- which millions witnessed because the game was nationally televised – made  a lot more Americans aware of the risk of cardiac arrest in young people and how CPR and AEDs can save lives. It also prompted University of Vermont (UVM) administrators to take notice of the risk of cardiac arrest on campus, whether the victim is a young student or perhaps a staff member or visitor who is older. UMV Director of Emergency Management John Marcus and his team of student interns had already been developing a solution: Cat ECare. Hamlin’s medical emergency prompted the full roll-out of the program.Cat ECare emergency stations, which are distributed around campus, include AEDs. However,  Marcus and his team made the stations even more useful by adding bleeding control kits and Narcan. Additionally, embedded within the program are ongoing training opportunities for UVM students, faculty, and staff. Training covers CPR, how to use AEDs, bleeding control, and how to use Narcan. UVM now has 100 Cat ECare emergency stations located all around campus. The Cat ECare program was just one reason why Marcus was named a finalist in this year's Director of the Year program.In Campus Safety’s interview with Marcus, he describes:The origins of Cat ECare and what Cat ECare means: 1:13How he involved student interns and other campus partners to help develop the program: 3:04How he and his team expanded the program: 3:52Getting support and funding for Cat ECare: 7:17Results of the program: 16:01Maintaining equipment, supplies and support for Cat ECare: 18:52CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 Director of the Year finalist, has used lessons learned from major school incidents, including first-hand experience, to both enhance internal best practices and navigate the complex world of choosing security vendors, particularly as it relates to perimeter security (2:45).In this interview, Payne shares:His overall philosophy on school safety (1:13)Advice for choosing video surveillance vendors (2:45)The importance of training with local law enforcement (7:51)Advice for choosing window film vendors (9:54)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 various school stakeholders with whom she has formed strong relationships over her illustrious career."It's important, as everybody watching this knows, to have buy-in from your constituents. Teachers and administrators are not always the only people that are on your campus," said Lotito.During this interview, Lotito shares:Why and how she has made connections with athletic trainers, nurses, students, and parents (1:31)The role school security specialists play in student safety (5:51)How the district partners with local law enforcement agencies (12:26)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 and the district’s traditional school safety officers.“Our school safety team, they’re responsible for seeing students when they arrive, when they leave, and during the course of the day when they’re patrolling the district. However, I found that a lot of our school safety team wasn’t trained to deal with a crisis if a student was going through a crisis,” said McCray. “So I had to create a team that was able to deal with different types of issues that our students are facing.”Their job roles are changing daily, requiring constant adaptation for each unique situation.During this interview, McCray shares:A general overview of what SACROs do (3:42)Different student-oriented programs led by SACROs (6:15)How SACROs partner with local faith-based organizations to provide additional support to students (9:09)How SACROs work with other area businesses to mitigate the school-to-prison pipeline (9:38)How he trains all school safety officers to approach student discipline and several accompanying anecdotes (12:36)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 applied to sit on the council, and district leaders spoke to stakeholders such as the District Attorney's Office, police, and the public defenders' office. Ultimately, the Board of Education voted to remove SROs.As an alternative, Brendan Sullivan, BVSD's director of safety, security, and emergency management, created the School Safety Advocate role. In this interview, Sullivan shares:How he determined the roles and responsibilities of SSAs (02:53)Training the advocates receive (07:48)How SSAs interface with both law enforcement and school principals (08:52How BVSD students feel about SSAs (13:29)How BVSD parents feel about SSAs (16:53)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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. Florida SouthWestern University’s police department had an employee turnover rate of more than 20% in 2019 when its current chief of police, Jerry Connolly, took over the agency’s helm. He inherited a department that “fostered a less than desirable culture that consisted of no accountability, non-compliant personnel, a lack of modernized infrastructure with robust policies that properly govern the police department,” says Connolly. “And they didn't have any competitive incentives that were comparable to similar policing agencies.”The chief quickly got to work, authoring more than 150 policies to modernize the department’s infrastructure. These and other  changes resulted in a massive reduction in turnover from more than 20% five years ago to 2%-5% today. His work in reducing employee turnover is just one reason why Connolly was named one of this year’s Campus Safety Higher Education Director of the Year finalists.In this interview, Connolly provides tips on how to reduce employee turnover. Some of the changes he recommends are small but have the potential to make a big impact.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.This was the challenge facing Keene State College Director of Campus Safety Chris Buckley when he started his position at the school in July 2020. At that time, the starting pay rate for officers ranged from $14.69 to $17 per hour.In this interview Buckley, who is also a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year Finalist, describes how he was able to effectively advocate for an increase to $20 per hour for new officers and $24 per hour for sergeants.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine ● X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag ● Instagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag ● LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ ● YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 communication technology throughout the district.In this interview, Webster shares how he used funds from the Michigan State Police Competitive School Safety Grant and the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office Grant to improve communication technology.Webster also discusses the importance of "relationship-based security" and how it has made his district safer.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine ● Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag ● Instagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag ● LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ ● YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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 finalist, has worked diligently to ensure lockdown procedures minimally impact student and staff mental health -- so much so that other districts have turned to him for advice.In this interview, Lopez shares:Techniques for mitigating fear and trauma during lockdown drills (4:55)How the district ties in its alarm system during emergency drills (12:04)How he spearheaded the creation of the district's dispatch center while reducing operational costs (1:11)How threats and anonymous tips are handled by the dispatch center (3:04)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag Instagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Each year, Orange County Public Schools conducts training, dubbed Preparedness Days, to train school leaders on emergency management and safety issues. However, this annual event started much smaller, the way many safety initiatives do. Several years ago, the Florida school district was gifted tourniquets and Stop the Bleed kits from one of its hospital partners, Orlando Health. Over three days in the summer, Orlando Health helped train district principals on how to use the new supplies. The training quickly evolved into something more, uniting principals and district emergency management staff for a multi-day conference.In this interview, Lou Alexis, OCPS' Director of Emergency Management and a 2024 K-12 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, shares how Preparedness Days are run, in addition to:Other ways administrators and emergency management staff interact throughout the school year (5:34)How the district determines the content of Preparedness Days (8:59)How the district involves students in school safety (10:54)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag Instagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Southern hospitality may be alive and well in much of North Carolina, but safety precedes manners at Buncombe County Public Schools.For Joseph Hough, district assistant superintendent of auxiliary services and school safety and a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, access control has always been a priority. Over the years, he has implemented several inexpensive -- and even some free -- access control programs or systems that revolve around student and staff training.Hough shares two inexpensive trainings he has introduced to both students and teachers as well as:Insights into the district's massive front office reconfiguration project (1:14)The challenges that came with installing double vestibules in 30 schools (05:15)How the project was funded and how the district decided which schools to start with (06:44)Impacts seen since the start of the project (11:07)How his military background helps him do his job (20:27)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine ● Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag ● Instagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag ● LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ ● YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Nineteen years ago, Aaron Skrbin, now director of safety and security at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, was unwittingly thrust into the role of school safety. During his second meeting as assistant principal at a Pennsylvania school district, the superintendent noted he had a first responder background before handing him a dusty binder containing the district's emergency operations plans written following September 11. "You're in charge of this now," the superintendent said. Since then, Skrbin has used his first responder background to establish relationships between school leaders, first responders, and other community leaders. In this interview, Skrbin also dives into: The biggest challenges and hurdles faced in his current role (4:04) His proudest accomplishments as a safety and security director (9:34) The importance of transparency in school safety (14:49) CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag Instagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Much of today’s focus regarding K-12 school safety and security is on emergency response. Various stakeholders, including district leaders, parents, and school boards, want to know if a school is prepared to respond to an incident, particularly those involving violence.However, prevention should be at the forefront of the rhetoric and school safety plans, and behavioral threat assessments play a pivotal role.During the pandemic, the United States saw a significant uptick in homicides, shootings, and aggravated assaults. While FBI crime data shows overall violent crime returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, the Justice Department’s National Crime Victimization Survey found violent victimization rate for people between the ages of 12 and 17 doubled, representing the age group that saw the biggest increase in violent victimization. The survey also found fatal and non-fatal gun violence increased by more than 10% for those under the age of 18.Campus Safety spoke with Lew Robinson, a retired U.S. Secret Service who specialized in behavioral threats assessments, and Kirk Cerny, COO of Secure Passage, a public safety company, about what is causing an increase in violent crime among young people and leading practices and resources for addressing the issue.Additional topics covered include:A scenario that highlights the importance of identifying concerning or prohibitive behaviors and initiating the intervention process (4:44)Three ways schools can mitigate threats of harm (8:33)Common errors schools make regarding behavioral threat assessments (11:49)What makes Secure Passage's SBTA unique (20:13)Hopeful thoughts for the future of school safety and student wellness (25:08)How schools can access fiscal and human resources to improve behavioral threat assessment capabilities (31:32)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

On March 5, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education issued Liberty University a $14 million fine over its violation of the Clery Act for its handling of sexual assault allegations. Liberty also violated the Clery Act in 2010, and the latest review found the school failed to initiate and sustain remedial action from those findings.The penalty is the largest Clery fine in history, dwarfing the Department's second-largest $4.5 million fine levied against Michigan State University in 2019 over its systemic failure to address longstanding sexual abuse allegations made against former sports doctor Larry Nassar. Before that, the largest fine was $2.4 million against Penn State in 2016 for its mishandling of abuse claims against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. The increase from 2019 to 2024 begs the question: Why have Clery violation fines grown exponentially in recent years?In this interview, Kyle Norton, director of regulatory compliance at the Healy+ Group, and Jenn Scott, a regulatory compliance consultant, share:Why Clery Act fines have gotten so big (00:52)Common Clery Act violations (02:34)Why higher reported crimes aren't necessarily a bad thing (05:31)What Clery-compliant schools are doing right (09:07)Advice on how campuses can keep up with the many requirements of the Clery Act (11:41)What to expect from their upcoming 2024 Campus Safety Conference presentation, "$37 Thousand or $37 Million? The New Cost of Violating the Clery Act" (13:54)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine● Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag● Instagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag● LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/● YouTube:  @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Being proactive with a unified approach to school security and safety is critical to preventing and responding to incidents. However, historically most school districts have taken the exact opposite approach. Traditionally, they’ve waited to address their pressing safety and security vulnerabilities until after a major incident has occurred, according to Michael Garcia, HID Global’s safe schools national end user director. “Force protection, defense in depth, qualitative third party, independent verification and validation -- the necessary things for a risk assessment -- were never on the school budget,” says Garcia. “So, they could never be planned for, they were always reactively financed.”What followed would usually be a piecemeal approach to school security upgrades. Cameras would be installed at one time, intrusion sensors would be installed at another, locks would be installed on classroom doors the following year, and so on. Although the installation of this equipment was a significant improvement over what was protecting the campus before, the systems that were implemented often wouldn’t communicate or integrate with each other.   Another challenge with the traditional way of handling school security, especially as it applied to access control, was that very often first responders would have difficulty accessing the scene of an emergency because they didn’t have the right keys or access control credentials.To be fair, it’s understandable why the reactive approach to school safety had traditionally been school districts’ modus operandi. K-12 campus protection is a relatively new field, and the recent changes to it seem to have come at lightning speed. What’s more, the vast majority of school board members don’t volunteer for their positions to become security experts. The same goes for administrators and educators, who have been trained to focus on academics, not active shooter response.However, Garcia says all of this must change. Mental health, behavioral interventions, mitigation efforts, risk assessors, people, processes, and security technologies must all work together as an “orchestra” with one conductor. Doing so will help prevent school security incidents from happening in the first place, mitigate them when they do occur, and ensure first responders will be able to quickly and appropriately respond.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Inclusivity is the practice of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for those who might otherwise be marginalized. An inclusive school safety plan accounts for everyone’s individual needs and abilities — including students and staff — when and if a school is faced with an emergency.We spoke with Dr. Roderick Sams, a former educator and administrator of 20+ years, about ways schools and districts can create a more inclusive safety plan by:1. Removing language barriers (0:01)2. Improving accessibility (04:36)3. Ensuring emergency alerts are multisensory (08:56)Sams also spoke about the importance of an overall inclusive campus culture that listens to student and staff voices and accepts and accommodates differences, which has proven to reduce violence (16:15).CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

In the three months following the start of the Israel-Hamas war, anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. increased by 360% compared to the same period one year prior. Anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents increased by 178%.Some of these incidents occurred on K-12 and college campuses. In Georgia, a middle school teacher was fired for allegedly threatening physical harm to a 13-year-old girl. In Indiana, a woman was arrested for intentionally crashing her vehicle into a school because she thought it was an "Israel school." On Feb. 19, anti-Semitic incidents on U.S. college campuses since the start of the war passed 1,000.Educational campuses have also made recent headlines for protests and administrators' handling of them. Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups have sued their schools, claiming they haven't protected them from hate crimes or have violated their First Amendment rights by having the groups suspended.All of these hate crimes and clashes raise many questions, including:What have K-12 and college leaders done right and what have they done wrong in how they respond to these incidents?How can they better mitigate and respond to them in the future?To answer these questions, Campus Safety spoke with Jason Russell, former Secret Service agent and founder and president of Secure Environment Consultants. CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation on college campuses are at an all-time high. More than 60% meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem -- a nearly 50% increase since 2013.College students are also seeking support at an unprecedented rate, openly discussing their struggles with professionals to formulate a game plan for improving their well-being and overall educational experience. Although student affairs offices are overwhelmed with the influx, many are working to find creative ways to properly support students seeking resources -- including the University of California San Diego's Student Affairs Case Management Services (SACM).SACM is the winner of the Clery Center's Campus Safety Impact Award, an inaugural award that recognizes higher education programs or initiatives that demonstrate innovation, collaboration, and equity in improving campus safety.Hear from SACM's director, Andrew Hua, about how the group has been able to quintuple its case management team in just three years, as well as the challenges that came with it and how they continue to evolve to meet students' needs.Hua also discusses:How the team has addressed spikes in student caseloads (06:04)How the team has created a path for students to become part of the staff (14:45Tips for garnering support from leadership for student well-being initiatives (16:43)SACM's signature training program, which has trained over 1,200 faculty, staff, and student leaders to recognize signs of distress (22:10)Notable statistics, including student testimonials, that highlight SACM's impact (24:26)Tips for schools overwhelmed with student needs' caseloads (27:36)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

On March 15, 2022, 16-year-old Shawn Dwight Tolbert was fatally shot following an altercation between two groups of teens in the parking lot at Eisenhower High School in Yakima, Washington. As with all campus incidents, the district did a full after-action review of the shooting and the school's response. It was determined a security monitor gave incorrect information regarding the location of the incident, sending police, EMS, district security, and school administration to the south parking lot when the incident occurred in the east parking lot. This caused delays in providing medical services and in apprehending the shooter.In this interview, Stacey Locke, Deputy Superintendent of the Yakima School District, discusses the school's error in its response (00:27) and how the district has since fixed its emergency response plans to prevent similar mistakes from occurring in future incidents (08:00).Locke also shared:The school's many successes in its response (11:11)How she encourages her district employees to create a culture of safety through a layered approach (13:16)How purchasing wearable incident response badges for staff following the incident has helped in other emergencies (16:56)Recommendations for schools or districts considering adopting similar location-enabled technology (20:57)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

On Nov. 30, 2021, a student at Michigan's Oxford High School shot and killed four classmates and wounded six other people. Several weeks ago, independent investigators released a 572-page report outlining both successes and failures in the school's response before, during, and after the incident.In this interview with Campus Safety, Jill Lemond, who was Oxford Community School's assistant superintendent of student services at the time of the tragedy and later became the assistant superintendent of safety and school operations, shares lessons learned from the incident (06:19) and changes the district has made since (08:51).She also shares:Overall advice for school gun violence deterrence (00:01)Recovery advice for schools that may experience a similar incident in the future (10:15)What parents can do to prevent school violence (15:13)What students can do to prevent school violence (19:14)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) refers to the integration of architectural design and environmental factors to reduce criminal activity. Many strategies can be used to deter crime but perhaps the three most common, effective, and practical ones are natural surveillance and visibility (00:01), lighting (04:53), and wayfinding (09:22).Paul Timm, currently Allegion's Director of Education Safety at Allegion and formerly Facility Engineering Associates' (FEA) Vice President of Physical Security Services, discusses the fundamentals of these three CPTED principles and how they can and should be applied on school campuses. Timm also shares CPTED successes and failures he's encountered as both a security professional conducting school site assessments and a parent, as well as:Where schools that are looking to improve CPTED should start (14:56)Best practices for CPTED during after-school events, particularly at night (16:23)Advice on accessing grant funding to improve CPTED (19:02)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

In a March 2022 survey, paraprofessionals, school counselors, instructional aides, and school resource officers (SROs) reported the highest rates of student physical violence (22%), while 18% of school psychologists and social workers, 15% of administrators, and 14% of teachers reported at least one violent incident by a student during the pandemic.In this interview, Dr. Marisa Randazzo, executive director of threat management at Ontic, shares her thoughts on the most effective ways to address violence in schools as well as how current students -- the next generation of thought leaders -- will have the ability to change the overall culture of workplace safety. Dr. Randazzo also discussed:What school employees can do to de-escalate concerning behavior (10:25)Free de-escalation resources for violence prevention in schools (12:19)What technologies and tools are available to support school employees in combatting violence (12:39)Must-haves in school violence prevention policies and procedures (15:16)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/campussafetymag/LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine ​CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

On Dec. 1, 2013, Kari Hunt was stabbed 29 times by her husband in a Texas motel room while their three children were present. Kari’s nine-year-old daughter dialed 911 four times from the motel room phone but the calls never went through because the motel’s phone system required users to press “9” before dialing outside lines. Kari ultimately died that night, and coroners estimate she lived for 25-30 minutes after the attack. On Feb. 16, 2018, Kari's Law was signed into legislation, ensuring anyone can reach a 911 call center directly without an access code. Six weeks later, RAY BAUM's Act went into law, requiring enterprises to fashion their phone systems so each 911 call includes a dispatchable location.Mark Fletcher, the key author and proponent of Kari's Law and vice president of public safety solutions for 911inform, spoke with Campus Safety about the laws' requirements and the high costs of non-compliance.Fletcher also shares:More on the process of getting Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act through the legislature with the Hunt family (01:35)Three instances where Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act helped save lives (10:53)Who tracks whether an establishment is compliant and who within a school campus is typically involved in ensuring phone systems are compliant (13:52)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @campussafetymagazine  CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Dr. James Corbin, who is student safety and security coordinator for Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee, was tasked with developing a safety department for his district. Not only did he do so from scratch, but he also grew his department to more than 60 employees in only three years. Additionally, almost all of his employees have stayed with the department… a remarkable feat considering the current tight labor market.Corbin’s success in developing his district’s safety department is just one of the reasons why he’s been named one of this year’s Campus Safety K-12 Director of the Year finalists. Here’s Campus Safety Editor in Chief Robin Hattersley's interview with James Corbin as well as the timestamps of what was specifically covered in the interview: Corbin’s first steps in developing the Hamilton County Schools safety department, and how he determined what was needed, who was needed, and how many officers/staff members were needed: 1:31What issues district stakeholders and the community specifically wanted the department to address and how he bridged the gap between the traditional law enforcement world and school safety world: 3:50How he was able to recruit and retain so many employees in such a tight labor market: 5:18What kind of training department armed officers receive: 6:34Advice to other districts who want to develop or expand their safety departments: 9:24This presentation is brought to you by CampusSafetyMagazine.com (https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/)Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafety...Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/Follow us on Twitter: CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

To combat the nationwide police shortage, Eric James, chief of police for the University of Nevada, Reno Police Department-Northern Command and a 2023 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, secured funding to add at least one community service officer position to each campus (2:11).These student officers almost exclusively spend their time on foot patrol and handle cold calls for service, leaving more time for peace officers to handle priority calls for service. Adding CSO jobs also creates a pipeline for hiring peace officers.In this interview, James discusses this initiative, as well as:Benefits garnered from teaching a CrossFit class at the University Fitness Center (5:06)The process of acquiring a facility dog and the many ways she has helped the campus community (8:11)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @campussafetymagazine  CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

A fall 2019 survey of approximately 167,000 students at two- or four-year colleges found 39% had experienced food insecurity in the last 30 days, according to an annual survey conducted by Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. On college campuses throughout the country, there are various departments and organizations working diligently to improve food access. At the University of Rhode Island, the police department is one of them.In this interview, Michael Jagoda, URI's Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police, shares how hosting nearly two dozen food-focused community outreach events has helped campus police establish open lines of communication with students while also addressing the hardships of food insecurity.Jagoda also discusses: Outreach programs the department leads within the greater community (9:45)Unexpected benefits from the community outreach events (19:20)How his response to the Sandy Hook tragedy as a member of the Connecticut State Police has influenced his dedication to thorough active shooter preparedness (15:52)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/campussafetymag/LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine ​CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

For years now, school districts have debated if school resource officers (SROs) make K-12 campuses safer or more dangerous, with some making the difficult decision to remove their police officers. The Lynwood (California) Unified School District (USD) was one such district, doing away with its SRO program before the COVID-19 pandemic.Doing so meant Lynwood USD needed to figure out other ways to protect its schools. The first step was to create a safety taskforce that was comprised of school board members, principals, parents, directors of student services, IT, other community members, city officials, and local law enforcement. (Next year, the task force will expand to include students.)“In this committee, we’re addressing the incidents that we see in or around the school sites,” Garcia said. “We discuss the incidents and then bring to the table what we think will be beneficial for the whole district.”This process resulted in Lynwood USD identifying several technologies and programs that would proactively address its school safety and security challenges without the involvement of SROs. An intercom access control system, anonymous reporting system, weapons detection that uses artificial intelligence, student internet monitoring, and visitor management were all installed. Garcia and his team also implemented active shooter training at all sites, collaborated with the city of Lynwood to implement Safe School Zones, and more.The result of these improvements was a 70% decline in incidents at Lynwood USD. This and many other reasons are why Garcia has been named one of this year’s K-12 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalists.Below are the questions and interview time stamps so you can watch/listen to the specific details of Garcia’s achievements and lessons learned: Why Lynwood USD needed a new intercom access control system, anonymous reporting system, weapons detection technology, student internet monitoring system, and visitor management system and the problems these technologies addressed. 1:58 How Garcia was able to convince other district stakeholders (the school board, community, etc.) that these upgrades were needed. 5:45 How Garcia’s department and district paid for the upgrades. 7:48 The results of Lynwood USD’s implementation/installation of these systems. 8:49 Advice Garcia gives to other districts looking to upgrade their security and safety. 10:21 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafety... Follow us on LinkedIn: CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

In 2022, Howard University received eight bomb threats based on racial motivations. As chief of police and executive director of the school’s Department of Public Safety, Marcus Lyles was tasked with responding to these threats as well as addressing concerns and fears expressed by the Howard community.In this interview, Lyles shares how the threats impacted Howard students and staff, as well as how his team responded to the threats and offered reassurance to the campus community regarding their safety (2:20).Lyles also discusses:How his team kept parents informed of the university's response to the bomb threats (9:24)Recommendations for schools that may experience similar threats in the future (12:10)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/campussafetymag/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube: @campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

After three people were tragically killed and five others were wounded in a February shooting at Michigan State University, conversations started swirling about how to best protect an open campus. While there are leading practices for improving safety on an open campus, each campus has its own unique challenges and therefore its own unique solutions.Vanguard University, located in Costa Mesa, Calif., is an example of an open campus with security solutions tailored to its specific environment. In this interview, Kenton Ferrin, Vanguard's director of campus safety and a 2023 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, speaks to ways his campus has made security changes after evaluating its top risks, as well as:How his team developed safe rooms throughout campus where students or employees can quickly secure themselves during an emergency (5:55)The advantage of hiring retired police officers and tips for campuses considering doing so (11:50)Unique ways the campus safety team has been able to connect with the student population (15:25)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @campussafetymagazine  CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Outdoor public address systems are critical components of any school’s emergency notification system. Emergency messages must reach everyone on campus, including those students, faculty, and staff members who are outside on the football field, baseball diamond, picnic areas, playgrounds, and other outdoor areas. Unfortunately, PA speakers often aren’t installed in remote outdoor locations on campus. If they are installed, the announcements might not be loud enough or intelligible. The same issues often happen indoors.Such was the challenge at the UMS-Wright Preparatory School located in Mobile, Alabama. UMS-Wright Director of Campus Safety Garrett Humphrey and his team updated the PA system to not only address the old system’s coverage issues but to also make the school’s teachers less reliant on their cell phones for push notifications. He and his team went through a lengthy and thorough process to upgrade UMS-Wright’s PA system, including conducting an inventory and testing what they already had, determining the exact areas that had coverage problems. Here are the timestamps of what was specifically covered in the interview:The specific challenges UMS-Wright experienced with its PA system: 2:20 How Humphrey addressed this issue; what was installed; how he determined what was needed; and the overall process: 5:32 How the solution that was chosen achieved cost savings: 9:05 Humphrey’s advice to other school safety and security professionals about public address systems and notifying students, faculty, and staff who are outdoors during an emergency: 11:25 What Humphrey would do differently if he had to do it all over again: 13:58This presentation is brought to you by CampusSafetyMagazine.com (https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/) Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafety... Follow us on LinkedIn: https:/CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Partnerships have long proven successful in improving safety within a community. Historically, these partnerships have been between various first responder groups. As the social divide within our country continues to widen, partnerships between first responders and social workers have proven extremely successful.This rings true for the University of Maryland Baltimore Police Department (UMBPD) since it began a partnership with the university’s School of Social Work (UMSSW) to help the Baltimore community at large.In this interview, UMBPD Chief Thomas Leone shares how the partnership works (2:16) and its impressive outcomes for the community (6:13). CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/campussafetymag/LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and UT Health Science Center, all incidents are shared with and monitored by the police department. Threats are also shared with other campus leaders to ensure everyone -- at all times -- has a clear picture of the campus threat landscape.In this interview, Chief William Adcox shares why information sharing is essential to mitigating healthcare violence and why his police department does not have an arrest model (12:47).Adcox also shares how switching to a Combined Protection Model (1:46) and creating a Shared Purpose Council (6:06) resulted in improved performance and outcomes for both the organizations he serves and the surrounding community.CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @campussafetymagazine  CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Brown County’s Teen Heartsaver Initiative has provided First Aid training and certification to nearly 2,000 high school students, campus employees, and area residents.The program, which was developed and launched by Brown County Kansas Sheriff John Merchant, has saved many lives. One student who received the training performed the Heimlich maneuver on a choking child she was babysitting. A bus driver who was waiting in line at McDonald’s revived a person who went into cardiac arrest. Another student who was sitting at a restaurant revived a patron who experienced a heart attack. Brown County’s program has many more success stories… too many to mention.Below are the questions posed to Sheriff Merchant and interview time stamps so you can watch/listen to the specific details of Brown County’s initiative:1. What exactly is the Teen Lifesaver Initiative? 1:492. Why did you think your school district and community needed it? Did anything prompt you to introduce this initiative? 3:003. What have been the results of your Teen Lifesaver Initiative so far? 5:404. How did you go about implementing this initiative? Any advice to other districts or law enforcement agencies wanting to adopt something similar? What works? What doesn't? 6:59This presentation is brought to you by CampusSafetyMagazine.com (https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/) Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafety... Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag Sign up for our free newsletters: CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

Budget limitations are some of the biggest challenges campuses face when it comes to making security improvements. Whether it’s a school, college, hospital, or church, just to name a few, most safety and security leaders are expected to do a lot with little when it comes to protecting their facilities.In fiscal year 2022-2023, Cesar Gracia, director of public safety and chief of police at East Tennessee State University and a 2023 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, was able to nearly double the campus police department’s budget. How? By changing the department from a traditional police organization to one whose primary focus is community policing.In this interview, Gracia discusses various initiatives that led to an increased budget, as well as:How he adapted to policing a college campus after training officers at Walters State Regional Training Academy for 12 years (1:51)How he informed officers about the switch to community policing and how he approached situations where officers seemed resistant to change (7:42)Recommendations for other leaders looking to focus more on community policing (11:01)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazineTwitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/campussafetymag/LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/YouTube:  @Campussafetymagazine ​CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine