Where did July go??? It feels like yesterday we were posting Campus Safety’s most popular stories from June. Some might think time has moved slowly during the pandemic (looking at you, parents) but for campus safety professionals working day in and day out to create the safest possible environment for returning students and staff, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
Click here to read the top Campus Safety articles in July.
In March, our readers were most interested in coronavirus-related articles. By June, the interest shifted to discussions about police use of force, racial inequality and campus police. Although the coronavirus and campus policing still take up a large portion of this month’s top stories, readers seem to have broadened their interest to include other campus security topics, like Clery compliance and violations.
The increased interest in Clery topics is not surprising since many college campuses have already reopened or are on the cusp of reopening in some fashion. In April, the Department of Education announced new Clery Act guidance on how institutions of higher education can continue to comply with Clery Act requirements during the pandemic.
Two weeks ago, the department announced it would extend the annual security report (ASR) deadline from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. As anyone who has a hand in assembling ASRs knows, they are a lot of work, so this deadline is welcomed with open arms considering all of the added responsibilities that come with pandemic planning.
The biggest story this month, though, was “10 School Safety Dos and Don’ts Caught on Camera by Security Consultants.” It has only been up on the site for a little over a week but has gained serious traction. The article includes photos taken by K-12 school security consultants during actual site assessments. Some of the photos are examples of good security measures taken by schools while others highlight mistakes that could be extremely detrimental.
We have done several of these types of articles in the past — using photos from K-12 schools, college campuses and hospitals — and they always seem to resonate well with our audience. Check them out if you haven’t yet. It’s an entertaining but educational way to brush up on your safety assessment skills: