Get your number one resource: students, invested in maintaining a safe, secure environment.
Campus safety initiatives shouldn’t fall solely on your campus safety department. Your students should be just as involved—especially since they are more privy to the campus social scene than your security officers. Getting students to take an active role in maintaining a safe, secure environment can make a significant and direct impact on campus safety.
Here are 6 ways to get your students involved—and keep them involved—for a safer campus community.
- Make sure your campus offers a variety of groups that help students find their niche and get connected. The more connected students are, the more likely they’ll feel compelled to take a role in improving safety and security.
- Be proactive and fully integrate your department in the campus community. Attend various student-led club meetings, volunteer at student events, and take time out of your day to interact and talk with students to get a pulse on the campus social scene.
- Share results of your security efforts that directly correlate to deterring crime on campus. Demonstrating your campus security department’s impact sends a valuable message to students about its priorities.
- Offer campus safety department services for student events to establish trust and open communication. Reach out to other student groups to ask for input on campus safety issues. When students know their input is valued, they’ll be more likely to adhere to safety and security policies even more.
- Expand campus safety training programs with engaging, online video-based training courses that focus on campus-wide safety and prevention. Students will be better equipped to recognize abusive behavior, provide intervention options, and encourage risk-reduction strategies.
- Implement a mobile-friendly app that allows students to report suspicious behavior anonymously and provides easy, two-way communication between students and the campus safety department.
Engaging students in safety initiatives, providing training to increase awareness, and developing connections to build trust between students and campus safety officials are vital steps to building a strong, healthy campus where all individuals are empowered to take an active role in campus safety.
