Universities play a crucial role in our growing society, and providing a safe environment for learning and growth is essential. In this day and age, campus security has never been more relevant thanks to a rise in emergencies and safety concerns. University campuses are often quite large and complex in many ways, which begs the question: how are we supposed to keep campus security up-to-date?
If you’re involved with security operations at a university, this approved guide by an expert locksmith Bradford covers some constructive steps to improve and enhance campus security. Doing so will surely help protect students, staff members, and other personnel from modern security threats for years to come.
What is campus security?
Campus security is considered to be any system or protocol aimed at protecting the physical and non-physical well-being of students and faculty members on university campuses. Typically, universities have entire security teams that partner with local authorities to provide resources to those who need emergency services. Securing a campus involves a combination of physical security devices and a foolproof plan for any and all security emergencies.
Methods to Improve Campus Security
Overhaul security devices – The best way to prevent unauthorised personnel from being where they shouldn’t is to upgrade your campus’ security devices. This includes high-security locks on classroom doors, fully-functioning CCTV camera systems, alarm systems for sensitive areas such as dorm rooms and shared spaces, and access control systems to segregate security clearances.
Create contingency plans – Work with university administrators to come up with solid contingency plans for every possible emergency. This goes for active weapon threats, burglaries, fires and other natural disasters, cybersecurity threats, and more. In any standard emergency, your team should be able to quickly identify where an incident has occurred and how to respond.
Have security contacts on file – In the event of an emergency, the last thing you should need to do is figure out who to call. Make sure to consolidate all contacts for emergency personnel, including local police, fire and medical services, locksmiths, mental health professionals, and anyone else who might be of use. You can work with the campus IT team to assist with emergency communication incident infrastructure. Also, make sure to give students access to all the resources they need to call the right department or entity, should an emergency occur.
Plan for regular maintenance – If you don’t stay on top of the maintenance of your security devices, they could fail on you at the worst possible time. Make sure to schedule routine maintenance and testing of all emergency systems, including fire alarms and emergency stations. If everything is working properly, a student should be able to report an issue to the proper authorities and receive an emergency response in minutes.
Recruit security experts – security agencies and local locksmiths, such as Lock & Key, offer security assessments for large facilities. By partnering with one of these companies, they can send out locksmiths to inspect your campus for security vulnerabilities. Locksmiths can determine what cameras, locks, and alarms work best to suit your security needs, and they can sometimes help with coordinating bulk sales and vendor logistics.l
The benefits of campus security
- Prevention and deterrence of crime – Someone in charge of campus security should prioritise not only the prevention, but also the deterrence of crime on campus. Deterrence can prevent trouble before it happens by dissuading potential criminals from executing a crime. Security systems shouldn’t be overbearing or threatening, but they should be obvious to criminals. Visible security cameras and alarm systems can indicate that a campus is securely monitored, and strategically positioning campus police cars will demonstrate a robust security presence.
- Risk Mitigation – By establishing an effective set of security measures, you can severely limit risk on a university campus. Emergencies can be emotionally and psychologically devastating, but they also have real financial impacts, both directly and indirectly. Campus security can prevent all sorts of headaches beyond student safety.
- Student Well-Being – Well-being should be a top priority among campus security officials. Students need to feel like they can study and learn in a crime-free environment, but they also can’t feel like they’re in a prison. It’s critical to find a balance between security and comfort when designing campus security infrastructure.
- Reputation – Least of all importance, the reputation of a university’s security practices can make or break a student’s decision to enrol. If a student doesn’t think he or she will be safe on campus, why would they be interested in risking their safety?
Final Thoughts
It’s no secret that securing a campus from any and all threats is a daunting task. Security personnel have to diligently plan for any emergency, and success depends on effective communication. Before overhauling the security of your campus or attempting to make large changes to the security network, make sure to get an accurate account of all devices, including the number of locks and cameras, model numbers, and manufacturers.
You should also spend time assembling your contact lists to make it easy for anyone to find a contact number in the event of an emergency. To preserve the well-being of your students and staff, every incident should be met with an immediate and effective response.
Remember that you can also receive help from outside security agencies and locksmiths to help manage your campus security goals. Reach out to trusted local locksmith to get help tailored to your campus and its security needs.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
