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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @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 shares

• How 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: @Campussafetymagazine

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: @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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine

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: @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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @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/CampusSafetyMagazine
• X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMag
• LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305
• YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine