Campus Safety and Security 101

***Guest Blog by John Garrigan, security professional***

Many students have a false sense of security on campus but in reality many criminals prey on unsuspecting students and unfortunately many of these criminals are students themselves! So it’s important that students be aware of their surroundings and consider following some of the tips we have researched from some of the most prominent university security professionals in the US.

General Tips

• Attend any and all security briefings your school hosts. Know how to call campus police in an emergency and find out what crimes have taken place on campus (this is your right and the school’s legal responsibility to inform you and your parents about crime in and around the school).
• Get familiar with the campus and neighborhood with respect to routes between your residence, transportation stop, parking lot and class/activities
• Know if your campus has emergency phones that you can pick up and notify campus security of an emergency; if they do, know where these are located and how to use them – don’t wait for an actual emergency to find out.
• If you have a smartphone, program emergency numbers into it, including the phone number of your parents or emergency It’s one of the first spots hospitals check if you’re admitted alone because they are able to bypass your pass code in order to access your contacts.
• Know all campus security and safety alerts, announcements, texts, emails and alarms, including those associated with an active shooter, campus lock down, weather emergency or other critical situation and what you are supposed to do when you hear or receive them.

Walk with your purse or backpack fully zipped. Keep your wallet in your front pocket to help prevent it from being picked.

• Survey the campus, academic buildings, residence halls, and other facilities while classes are in session and after dark to see that buildings, walkways, quadrangles, and parking lots are adequately secured, lit and patrolled.
• When walking in and around campus, stick to well-lighted and busy areas. Stay on the part of the sidewalk that is farthest away from shrubs, dark doorways and alleys where people can hide. Avoid shortcuts and walking through tennis courts and athletic fields at night.

Don’t walk alone at night and don’t be embarrassed to use your school’s escort service after dark.

• Keep your keys out when walking to your vehicle, dorm or apartment. That way, you can get into your destination fast and not be distracted with trying to find your keys in the event you are being followed.
• Choose an ATM that is located inside a building, such as a Student Center or other well-lit Never count cash at the machine or in public. Wait until you are in a secure place.
• Thefts are the Number 1 crime across campuses in the US, so make sure you safeguard your property, including wallets, purses, vehicles, cash, credit cards, electronic equipment, even books and lab equipment.
• Carry a “minimum wallet”; one credit card, your ID and just enough cash you need.
• Never leave book bags, computer bags, phones, school ID’s, wallets, purses or workout items inside your vehicle – if a criminal can see them from the outside, they will likely take them by smashing a window or forcing open the vehicle’s
• Streets surrounding colleges and university streets and parking lots are ripe targets for criminal gangs who prey on unsuspecting and trusting college students; always lock your vehicle, place valuables in the trunk (if you have to and only BEFORE you reach your destination) and better yet, take valuables with you.

Don’t leave your laptop, cell phone, or anything of value on a table in the library or in a classroom. This is the Number One place where thefts occur in the college setting.

Dorm/Apartment Safety

• If you are moving into an off-campus apartment, check the exterior doors and windows to make sure they have good locks. If the locks do not appear sturdy, ask your landlord or building manager to replace them.
• Always lock your doors and ground floor windows at night. Never compromise your safety for a roommate who asks that you to leave the door unlocked.
• Always lock your room. Students will commonly leave their door unlocked if they are expecting a visitor or if they are going to be away for just a Many thefts occur when the student is away from their room even for just a few minutes. Never loan out your key and if your key is lost or stolen, make sure your door’s lock is re-keyed.
• Never prop residential hall doors open, which allows unauthorized persons access.
• Never give your keys or your student ID/keycard to anyone, even if they are your best friend. With your room keys, they can enter your room at any time that they With your student ID, anyone who has it can enter your residential building anytime they want and also use your meal plans as they please.
• Lastly, make sure you and your parents have an inventory of all furniture and equipment that you have in your room (including serial and model numbers of electronic items) so in the event it is stolen, there is a record for the police and insurance company.

It’s important as students and parents that you know your legal rights in knowing the crime statistics associated with your college or university. The Clery Act requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses.

Specifically this federal law requires colleges and universities to:

• Publish an annual security report by October 1 of each year documenting three calendar years of campus crime statistics including security policies and procedures (they must give parents and students a copy of this report upon request).
• Maintain a public crime log documenting the nature, date, time and general location of each crime that occurs along with the disposition of the incident.
• Disclose crime statistics for incidents that occur on campus, in unobstructed public areas adjacent to or running through the campus and at certain non-campus facilities (such as Greek housing and remote classrooms).
• Issue timely warnings about crime which pose a serious or on-going threat to students and
• Devise an emergency response, notification and testing policy associated with a “significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health and safety of students or employees occurring on campus.”
• Compile and report fire data to the federal government and publish an annual fire safety report that outlines any fires that occurred in on-campus housing.
• Enact policies and procedures to handle reports of missing.

For more information on the Clery Act go to: clerycenter.org

About John Garrigan: John is an accomplished and highly respected security professional with over 35 years of leadership in contract security, corporate security, risk management, training, and public safety.  He has served as administrative assistant to the Boston Police commissioner and held senior executive positions in some of the largest security companies in the US and the private sector. Early in his career, he developed a wide range of public safety improvement programs for a variety of US cities, including Atlanta, and the US government. John has been intimately involved in helping to establish high value strategic public-private partnerships between the public safety and private business/security sectors.