It’s no secret that to be successful, a security director, police chief or emergency manager at a school district, institution of higher education or healthcare facility must have a wide range of skills and be able to juggle multiple responsibilities at the same time. This truth is clearly evident in the achievements of this year’s Campus Safety Director of the Year finalists.
Here’s just a sampling of the wide variety of accomplishments from the 2021 nominees: 
- Developed a class for international students to introduce them to the campus police department and provide them with personal safety tips.
- Created the “Cops and Coaches” program to help officers develop positive relations with students.
- Reduced the rate of incidents at athletic events by adopting effective crowd-management strategies.
- Implemented a new visitor management software system.
- Developed and implemented full-scale and/or tabletop exercises for the campus.
- Assigned unique addresses to campus buildings so police and fire can respond faster.
- Started a Safety Walk program to identify safety issues on campus, such as poor lighting.
- Implemented a computer aided dispatch and records management system that resulted in $20,000 cost savings.
- Designated as the unified commander for COVID-19 response representing the healthcare systems of an entire region.
- Completed a security fence project at all school sites to restrict entry and exit points.
- Led the consolidation of police and campus security services at four institutions, resulting in $3 million cost savings.
- Upgraded the campus’ video surveillance system.
- Had all officers receive training on how to best address the concerns of the LGBTQ+ community.
- In response to a deadly EF3 tornado that struck campus, organized more than 400 volunteers to help with cleanup.
- Formed a unit to train officers in de-escalation, cultural awareness, implicit bias and community outreach.
- Streamlined the campus’ Clery Act timely warning and emergency notification processes.
- Brought in new stun guns and body cameras for officers.
The energy and dedication of these finalists is seriously impressive. I get tired just writing about the few achievements I’ve highlighted here, let alone doing any of them. There are many, many more accomplishments… some of which are listed in the profile links on the next page. I encourage you to click on those links to review our finalists’ other achievements, as well as photos of the nominees and their departments. And, trust me… what’s listed in these links is just scratching the surface.
The 2021 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalists are:
