Places of higher education should never come with a risk. Students should be made to feel – as much as is humanly possible – that they do not need to worry for their safety, that their attention is better served through their studies. Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality on contemporary campuses, and certain extra measures need to be taken to ensure security. Short of asking students to be vigilant, which can send the wrong message about how conflict is incited and which issues need addressing, there are a number of things you can do to improve campus security. Here are four tips.
Use A Campus Safety App
If your campus doesn’t already use a mobile safety app, there are plenty of good ones to choose from. Take Circle of 6, for instance: an award-winning, free app that allows users to choose six contacts to notify in case of an emergency. Whether it’s simply asking for an escort, or informing close friends of an emergency, this app allows students to stay connected and safe while on campus. There are also readily accessible buttons on the app for emergency responders. Certain universities, like York here in Toronto, have their own safety app connected to other safety-based services on campus.
Use ID Cards
ID cards allow security, and other students, to quickly and easily tell whether someone belongs on campus or not. Sometimes threats to campus security come from off-campus intruders, and the easiest way to put an end to that is to have a universally accepted method of student verification. Most universities have ID card systems in place already – ID experts in Canada, like Avon Security Products have, over the years, done a lot for campus security –but it’s a matter of making sure everyone enforces the rules. For added security, especially against theft, make certain restricted areas only accessible by card.
Maintain Good Outdoor Lighting
Criminals, whether they’re thieves or assaulters, thrive on darkness, as it allows them to do as they wish, undetected. To that effect, a useful tip for improving campus security is to improve the lighting around campus grounds. The goal here is to make the perpetrator feel as visible as possible, which is an effective deterrent against crime. Along with the extra lighting, you could install cameras as well, which also work as a fine crime deterrent.
Increase Foot Patrol And Security
And of course, in tandem with all of the above, it’s necessary to have security in person-form, on the ground. Foot patrol campus security, oftentimes a volunteer organization of students, can be there to offer escort people from one place to another, while campus security can monitor the premises for suspicious behaviour or crime. Filling campuses with vigilant, dedicated people passionate about security can be a remedial as well as preventative solution to on-campus crime.
As summer approaches and another semester closes, it’s good to remind students that the only thing they should be worrying about is passing their final exam. With any luck, these four tips get your campus a little closer to that goal.
