Every student wants to feel totally safe on campus so they can focus on making the most of their college experience.
These days especially, students and parents expect that effective campus security measures are in place, from emergency phones to police who can respond quickly to calls for help. It’s up to the college or university to ensure that their security is top-notch so that dangers and threats are kept at bay and the institution continues to thrive.
So how can campus security be improved? Evaluating the effectiveness of campus security measures should be an ongoing, continuous process. Ensuring that the latest and greatest technology is being utilized, upgrading training techniques, and keeping students informed requires attention to detail, thoroughness, and a dedication to safety.
The Need For Greater Campus Security
In an ideal world, universities and colleges could let up on all security measures and simply trust that nothing bad would ever happen to their students, staff, or equipment. But of course, that simply isn’t the case.
As technology advances and people come up with new ways to hack into campus systems or sneak their way onto campus, so the need for security increases. Institutions across the board simply can’t ignore the threat of school shootings, kidnappings, theft, and any number of other crimes that can occur in what may appear to be an idyllic college campus.
School campuses also have to be cautious of how easy it is for anyone to pass as a student, especially on larger campuses where thousands of students can be roaming around.
Creating a more secure environment for students can be accomplished in many ways. Here are a few of the most effective.
- Security personnel on campus
- A badge ID system
- A robust camera system
- Emergency alert systems
Let’s look at why these security measures are important and how they can dramatically increase the effectiveness of campus security.
Security Personnel On Campus
The presence of campus security, and the knowledge that highly trained officers are ready to protect against threats at any time, gives students and staff peace of mind. Not only does it make students feel more secure, but it also decreases the chances of an attack.
Visible officers and police vehicles can deter criminals from the campus, and ensure that students feel safe enough to explore campus with friends and focus on class.
One way universities and colleges can improve campus security is simply by increasing the number of security officers on campus. Security officers should also be present and available in the evenings for students who are taking night classes.
A Badge ID System
On a college campus, a badge ID system can improve security in the following ways:
- Help students identify staff and other students in the case of a crisis
- Ensure strangers don’t access buildings that contain research equipment or potentially sensitive information
- Keep students actively aware of who belongs on campus and who doesn’t
When campuses are crowded and students are wandering in and out of buildings all day long, it can be difficult to keep track of who’s who on campus, and to know whether there’s someone there who shouldn’t be.
A badge ID system can ensure that no one has access to a building that shouldn’t have access, and that students can be aware, whether there’s a crisis or not, if there’s someone on campus that’s not a student, staff member, or visitor.
This is especially important as students begin to return to campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. ID badges and visitor badges can help control the potential spread of the disease by limiting unauthorized people on campus, and enabling staff and administrators to keep visitors and guests in specified areas, away from students.
A Robust Security Camera System
If an incident happens on your campus, you need to be able to clearly see and examine what happened so you can not only catch the perpetrator, but take measures to prevent the same incident from happening in the future.
If you don’t have security cameras in all of the right places, or your camera is outdated, it's worth upgrading to the latest technology so your security can be maximized.
Emergency Alert Systems
Investing in technology that enables staff or police officers to alert the entire campus in case of an emergency is essential. In addition to alarms, students should be alerted via text message or email as soon as possible since most people have a smartphone on them at all times. No matter which alert system you choose to utilize, it should be seen as quickly as possible, by as many people as possible.
Ultimately, improving campus security is one of the most important things you can do to keep crime to a minimum and ensure the academic success of students. If you’re in need of ID badges for your campus, give us a call!