Improving Campus Public Safety Resources and Training
Improving Campus Public Safety Resources and Training
Statement:
Campus public safety agencies have seen a reduction in funding, resources, and officer personnel. The negative effects of these reductions were significantly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As campuses locked down during the pandemic, campus public safety professionals assisted students with moving off campus, increased patrols of nearly empty campuses, monitored access to mostly closed campuses, and most importantly, provided emergency medical responses to suspected and actual COVID-19 positive patients.
IACLEA and the public safety professionals it represents are committed to making sure safety on our campuses remains a priority as the pandemic wanes and campuses return to full capacity. In addition to assisting in the management of institutional reopening efforts, officers continue their primary functions to reduce crime and violence, ensure safety during civil unrest and protests, coordinate with campus partners to address student mental health concerns and work to reduce and eliminate sexual assault and harassment in campus communities. Sustaining a vibrant, engaging community in higher education requires a commitment to safety and security and to the public safety personnel who make it possible.
What Is Needed:
- Increase in funding sources geared toward campus law enforcement and campus public safety agencies.
- Improved funding to support technology, training, and personnel.
- Funding that supports purchases of needed technology, communications, and systems to protect students and property.
- Best practices between local law enforcement and campus law enforcement.
Member Resources
CONNECTIONS is IACLEA's member community featuring peer networking and a full library of resources for the betterment of campus public safety.