Campus Safety Voices

Campus Safety Voices

By Campus Safety MagazineTechnology
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Campus Safety Voices episodes

  • How This Boulder School District Replaced Traditional SROs with School Safety Advocates

    Like many other communities, stakeholders from the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) began questioning the role of school resources officers following the murder of George Floyd. To evaluate whether SROs were right for their district, BVSD hired an external facilitator with expertise in equity and community engagement who developed the BVSD Equity Council.

    More than 900 community members applied to sit on the council, and district leaders spoke to stakeholders such as the District Attorney's Office, police, and the public defenders' office. Ultimately, the Board of Education voted to remove SROs.

    As an alternative, Brendan Sullivan, BVSD's director of safety, security, and emergency management, created the School Safety Advocate role. In this interview, Sullivan shares:

    • How he determined the roles and responsibilities of SSAs (02:53)
    • Training the advocates receive (07:48)
    • How SSAs interface with both law enforcement and school principals (08:52How BVSD students feel about SSAs (13:29)
    • How BVSD parents feel about SSAs (16:53)

    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine 
    • X: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMag
    • Instagram: https://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
    20 min
  • Reducing Campus Police Officer Turnover in a Tight Labor Market

    The U.S. is currently experiencing a labor shortage, and nowhere is that being experienced more than in law enforcement. In 2022, officer turnover and resignations were up 47% compared to 2019. Additionally, retirements were up 19%, according to a survey from the Police Executive Research Forum.  

    College campus public safety has also been greatly impacted by the current tight labor market. Florida SouthWestern University’s police department had an employee turnover rate of more than 20% in 2019 when its current chief of police, Jerry Connolly, took over the agency’s helm. 

    He inherited a department that “fostered a less than desirable culture that consisted of no accountability, non-compliant personnel, a lack of modernized infrastructure with robust policies that properly govern the police department,” says Connolly. “And they didn't have any competitive incentives that were comparable to similar policing agencies.”

    The chief quickly got to work, authoring more than 150 policies to modernize the department’s infrastructure. These and other  changes resulted in a massive reduction in turnover from more than 20% five years ago to 2%-5% today. His work in reducing employee turnover is just one reason why Connolly was named one of this year’s Campus Safety Higher Education Director of the Year finalists.
    In this interview, Connolly provides tips on how to reduce employee turnover. Some of the changes he recommends are small but have the potential to make a big impact.

    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
    13 min
  • How to Get Pay Raises for Your Campus Public Safety Department Officers

    It’s no secret that a key ingredient to having an effective campus public safety department is ensuring officers are paid a competitive wage. However, since the pandemic, keeping officer salaries competitive has become a significant challenge with the inflation rate skyrocketing to 7% in 2021 and 6.5% the following year. Although inflation dropped quite a bit in 2023 and this year, it’s still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This was the challenge facing Keene State College Director of Campus Safety Chris Buckley when he started his position at the school in July 2020. At that time, the starting pay rate for officers ranged from $14.69 to $17 per hour.

    In this interview Buckley, who is also a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year Finalist, describes how he was able to effectively advocate for an increase to $20 per hour for new officers and $24 per hour for sergeants.

    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

    ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine 

    ● X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag 

    ● Instagram: https://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
    27 min
  • How Kalamazoo Public Schools Used Grant Funding to Improve Communication Technology

    Communication failures have played a significant role in many school tragedies. While we can't fully prevent human and technological errors, there are ways to improve emergency response without breaking the bank.

    Donald Webster, Chief of Campus Safety at Kalamazoo Public Schools and a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, turned to several available grants to help improve communication technology throughout the district.

    In this interview, Webster shares how he used funds from the Michigan State Police Competitive School Safety Grant and the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office Grant to improve communication technology.

    Webster also discusses the importance of "relationship-based security" and how it has made his district safer.

    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

    ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine 
    ● Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag 
    ● Instagram: https://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
    15 min
  • School Lockdown Drills: How to Reduce Fear and Trauma

    Lockdown drills have become a standard part of school security across the United States. Although it is important to feel prepared to respond to a school emergency, these drills often elicit anxiety, fear, and sometimes trauma among students and staff.

    Ian Lopez, director of safety and security for the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado and a 2024 K-12 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, has worked diligently to ensure lockdown procedures minimally impact student and staff mental health -- so much so that other districts have turned to him for advice.

    In this interview, Lopez shares:

    • Techniques for mitigating fear and trauma during lockdown drills (4:55)
    • How the district ties in its alarm system during emergency drills (12:04)
    • How he spearheaded the creation of the district's dispatch center while reducing operational costs (1:11)
    • How threats and anonymous tips are handled by the dispatch center (3:04)


    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine 
    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag 
    • Instagram: https://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
    17 min
  • Orange County Public Schools Preparedness Days Unite Principals, Emergency Managers

    Each year, Orange County Public Schools conducts training, dubbed Preparedness Days, to train school leaders on emergency management and safety issues. However, this annual event started much smaller, the way many safety initiatives do.

    Several years ago, the Florida school district was gifted tourniquets and Stop the Bleed kits from one of its hospital partners, Orlando Health. Over three days in the summer, Orlando Health helped train district principals on how to use the new supplies. The training quickly evolved into something more, uniting principals and district emergency management staff for a multi-day conference.

    In this interview, Lou Alexis, OCPS' Director of Emergency Management and a 2024 K-12 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, shares how Preparedness Days are run, in addition to:

    • Other ways administrators and emergency management staff interact throughout the school year (5:34)
    • How the district determines the content of Preparedness Days (8:59)
    • How the district involves students in school safety (10:54)

    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine 
    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag 
    • Instagram: https://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
    17 min
  • 2 Inexpensive Ways to Improve School Access Control

    Southern hospitality may be alive and well in much of North Carolina, but safety precedes manners at Buncombe County Public Schools.

    For Joseph Hough, district assistant superintendent of auxiliary services and school safety and a 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, access control has always been a priority. Over the years, he has implemented several inexpensive -- and even some free -- access control programs or systems that revolve around student and staff training.

    Hough shares two inexpensive trainings he has introduced to both students and teachers as well as:

    • Insights into the district's massive front office reconfiguration project (1:14)
    • The challenges that came with installing double vestibules in 30 schools (05:15)
    • How the project was funded and how the district decided which schools to start with (06:44)
    • Impacts seen since the start of the project (11:07)
    • How his military background helps him do his job (20:27)

    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

    ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine 
    ● Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag 
    ● Instagram: https://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
    24 min
  • School Security Director Uses First Responder Background to Improve Mutual Aid

    Nineteen years ago, Aaron Skrbin, now director of safety and security at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, was unwittingly thrust into the role of school safety. 

    During his second meeting as assistant principal at a Pennsylvania school district, the superintendent noted he had a first responder background before handing him a dusty binder containing the district's emergency operations plans written following September 11. 

    "You're in charge of this now," the superintendent said. 

    Since then, Skrbin has used his first responder background to establish relationships between school leaders, first responders, and other community leaders. 

    In this interview, Skrbin also dives into: 

    • The biggest challenges and hurdles faced in his current role (4:04) 
    • His proudest accomplishments as a safety and security director (9:34) 
    • The importance of transparency in school safety (14:49) 

    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine 
    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag 
    • Instagram: https://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
    17 min
  • Student Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management for K-12 Schools

    Much of today’s focus regarding K-12 school safety and security is on emergency response. Various stakeholders, including district leaders, parents, and school boards, want to know if a school is prepared to respond to an incident, particularly those involving violence.

    However, prevention should be at the forefront of the rhetoric and school safety plans, and behavioral threat assessments play a pivotal role.

    During the pandemic, the United States saw a significant uptick in homicides, shootings, and aggravated assaults. While FBI crime data shows overall violent crime returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, the Justice Department’s National Crime Victimization Survey found violent victimization rate for people between the ages of 12 and 17 doubled, representing the age group that saw the biggest increase in violent victimization. The survey also found fatal and non-fatal gun violence increased by more than 10% for those under the age of 18.

    Campus Safety spoke with Lew Robinson, a retired U.S. Secret Service who specialized in behavioral threats assessments, and Kirk Cerny, COO of Secure Passage, a public safety company, about what is causing an increase in violent crime among young people and leading practices and resources for addressing the issue.

    Additional topics covered include:

    • A scenario that highlights the importance of identifying concerning or prohibitive behaviors and initiating the intervention process (4:44)
    • Three ways schools can mitigate threats of harm (8:33)
    • Common errors schools make regarding behavioral threat assessments (11:49)
    • What makes Secure Passage's SBTA unique (20:13)
    • Hopeful thoughts for the future of school safety and student wellness (25:08)
    • How schools can access fiscal and human resources to improve behavioral threat assessment capabilities (31:32)

    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine
    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag
    • Instagram: https://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
    39 min
  • Holding Liberty Liable: Why Clery Act Fines Are Getting So Big and How Colleges Can Avoid Them

    On March 5, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education issued Liberty University a $14 million fine over its violation of the Clery Act for its handling of sexual assault allegations. Liberty also violated the Clery Act in 2010, and the latest review found the school failed to initiate and sustain remedial action from those findings.

    The penalty is the largest Clery fine in history, dwarfing the Department's second-largest $4.5 million fine levied against Michigan State University in 2019 over its systemic failure to address longstanding sexual abuse allegations made against former sports doctor Larry Nassar. Before that, the largest fine was $2.4 million against Penn State in 2016 for its mishandling of abuse claims against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. 

    The increase from 2019 to 2024 begs the question: Why have Clery violation fines grown exponentially in recent years?

    In this interview, Kyle Norton, director of regulatory compliance at the Healy+ Group, and Jenn Scott, a regulatory compliance consultant, share:

    • Why Clery Act fines have gotten so big (00:52)
    • Common Clery Act violations (02:34)
    • Why higher reported crimes aren't necessarily a bad thing (05:31)
    • What Clery-compliant schools are doing right (09:07)
    • Advice on how campuses can keep up with the many requirements of the Clery Act (11:41)
    • What to expect from their upcoming 2024 Campus Safety Conference presentation, "$37 Thousand or $37 Million? The New Cost of Violating the Clery Act" (13:54)

    CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

    ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine
    ● Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag
    ● Instagram: https://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
    17 min

About Campus Safety Voices

From the publisher's feed

A podcast from Campus Safety featuring important and timely conversations with those charged with the public safety, security, and emergency management of schools, universities, and…