It is interesting how different people evaluate campus safety. Some people are very data driven, others take an approach based more on their observations flavored by their experiences, and others are heavily driven by their common sense or “gut” reactions to perceived safety concerns.
Perhaps it is too easy to forget that each of these methods of evaluating safety, security and emergency preparedness have their place as long as we achieve an appropriate balance. For example, while it is easy to dismiss “gut” feelings as unscientific, the experiences of organizations that utilize pattern recognition in an evidence based manner have sometimes revealed that this approach to assessment can sometimes be as accurate and even more accurate as more analytical approaches.
By blending these and other various approaches in proper balance to assess risk for their organizations, campus safety professionals may be able to provide more accurate and precise evaluation and thus better match available resources to actual needs.