Preparing Your Campus Against the Worst
Effectively identifying potential problems before they become a threat.
A unified, or integrated, security model is best described as a set of policies and procedures that have the endorsement and input of various departments on campus. Components of this approach include annual security staff training, equipment assessments, record-keeping audits, and centralized communication between different groups, which can reduce risk, limit liability, and help maintain business continuity across an institution.
In a unified security approach, campus security teams must not only have emergency response plans in place, but also have experience practicing what to do if the unthinkable occurs.
One way to enhance the value of these “practice” sessions is by holding mock campus security drills at least twice a year to prepare staff for emergency situations. Faculty and students can help the cause by role-playing, and outside evaluators can observe the trainings and offer suggestions on how to improve.
Equipment assessments are also effective. One college using such assessments decided after the exercise to increase the college’s surveillance system by more than 350% to keep watch over dormitories and academic buildings, for example. Since then, the cameras have proven to be a big help to security personnel in resolving thefts and determining blame in fights.
These data show the reality of on-campus crimes and further prove the value of implementing a unified security system that can effectively identify potential problems and give security officers and police the tools and information they need to thwart such crimes.
Did You Know?
- In 2013, 68,361 arrests were made on campus property.1
- One in five women and one in 16 men are the victims of attempted or completed rape while in college.2
- Stalking impacts women most during their college years, with 37.5% of victims experiencing stalking between the ages of 18 and 24.3
- In fatal crashes, the highest percentage of drunk drivers (33%) are college-aged.4
1 U.S. Department of Education. (2013). The Campus Safety and Security Data Cutting Tool. Retrieved from http://ope.ed.gov/security/index.aspx
2 Krebs, C.P., et. al. (Oct. 2007). The Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) Study: Final report. National Institute of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/221153.pdf
3 Breiding, Matthew J. et. al. (Sept. 5, 2014). “Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization – National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6308a1.htm?s_cid=ss6308a1_w
4 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (Dec. 2014). “Traffic Safety Facts: 2013 Data: Alcohol-Impaired Driving.” Retrieved from https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812102
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