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Journal Critique: University Safety and Security Assignment
"While approximately 30% of college students report having no safety concerns, the
remaining 70% report being concerned about a variety of safety-related scenarios" (Writers,
2020). In the journal2"College and Campus Safety Guide," the author explores further into
understanding college students' safety and security concerns. These concerns include, among
other things, excessive alcohol and drug usage, the availability of firearms on campus, suicide,
cyberbullying, and harassment, to name a few of the many themes mentioned. According to
Writers (2020), parents and college students can access school-specific statistics through the U.S.
Department of Education's Campus Safety and Security Database, which allows users to access
crime data for individual schools or compare data across multiple institutions.
However, Writers contends that appreciating safety and security entails more than simply
glancing up crime statistics online. The author emphasizes that crime data only offers
information on instances that have been reported to the police. "According to the United States
Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly 75% of school-related crimes go unreported, often because
they are handled internally by school officials or are considered private matters left to the
involved parties to resolve" (Writers, 2020, para. 17). As a result, Writers advises all college
students to investigate campus safety programs and efforts, as well as become acquainted with
their school's safety communication and emergency protocols. To back up these claims, the
author cites the US Department of Education and includes information from USA Today.
A total of 179,000 students participated in a poll conducted by College Stats on their
safety concerns. The comments addressed topics such as theft on campus, assault incidents,
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poorly lit pathways, the presence of non-students on campus, and the lack of emergency phones
on campus (Boubez, 2020, para. 1). In the paper "Enhancing Campus Security in Higher
Education: Six Key Approaches," the author outlines six techniques for improving safety and
security on college campuses. These approaches include strategic planning, the formation of
beneficial relationships, effective training, the use of functional technology, the encouragement
of incident reporting, and the maintenance of flexibility. Strategic planning requires institutions
to assess their unique characteristics and student body in order to design customized security
plans that address the individual needs. The concept of useful partnerships is building
collaborative relationships with the local police agency to ensure enough support for campus
security professionals (Boubez, 2020). Furthermore, Boubez (2020) underlines that safety
obligations extend beyond campus security employees, claiming that security awareness training
should be provided to all university stakeholders.
According to Boubez, institutions must improve their on-campus security and safety
procedures in order to establish a sense of security in students and other key stakeholders.
Furthermore, he claims that creating a safe environment can help students perform better
academically. In his opinion, technology plays a critical role and should be an inherent
component of all colleges' safety and security policies. In particular, Boubez (2020) advises
universities to invest in user-friendly technological solutions that will be useful in the long run,
such as emergency safety alarms and video monitoring.
As detailed in his article, transparency emerges as a critical feature of Boubez's
perspective. He adds that incident reporting serves other purposes other than regulatory
compliance. According to Boubez, it acts as an effective means of communication, and
transparency about student safety can assist create confidence between security staff and the
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larger college community (Boubez, 2020). The author backs up his proposals for improving
safety with data from the College Stats survey, which looks into safety concerns on college
campuses.
Prioritizing safety and security should be the foremost concern for university and college
administrators, as it serves to safeguard the well-being of all stakeholders and mitigates risks and
exposure for the institution itself (Parent, 2018). Parents emphasize that effective communication
stands as the most efficient means of ensuring campus safety and security. She points out that
numerous crimes, including harassment and assault, can be averted if early indicators are
promptly communicated and reported. According to Parents (2018), it is all too common to
discover, after the fact, that multiple individuals were aware of issues that eventually escalated
into crises, yet they chose not to speak up at the time. Technology plays a vital role in facilitating
the communication of safety concerns.
Parents contends that leveraging technology for seamless communication can enhance
safety and security measures on college campuses. She delves into the exploration of various
safety strategies employed by higher education institutions, such as anonymous tip lines, emails,
and blue light call boxes, but observes that these methods have shown limited effectiveness
(Parents, 2018). Her recommendation is for campuses to harness smartphones as a means to
reduce incidents of crime on campus. Several current safety and security technology
applications, such as Safe-Walk, LiveSafe, and Geofence, are presently in use across various
universities. Parents asserts that the adoption of smart technology will only yield substantial
results if it is implemented comprehensively throughout the entire school. To support her
viewpoint, the author references research conducted at numerous campuses, including
Georgetown University and Central Connecticut State University.
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As a former University of Alabama alumnus, I've had the opportunity to consider the
safety and security of college campuses, particularly my alma university. My time at the
University of Alabama was memorable and enriching, but safety was a major issue for many
students. To begin with, the institution had taken significant steps to protect the safety of its
students and employees. The presence of school police and security staff was reassuring, as were
the well-lit pathways and emergency call boxes spread throughout campus. Furthermore, the
availability of services such as the Rave Guardian app, which enabled students to communicate
directly with campus police and give location information in an emergency, was a huge step
forward in harnessing technology for safety.
However, it is critical to recognize that campus safety is a complicated issue. While the
university had taken steps to ensure physical safety, there were other aspects of security that
needed to be addressed. In an increasingly digitized environment, for example, guaranteeing the
safety of students' personal information and data was a major worry. Cybersecurity education and
awareness had to be integrated into the broader safety framework. Another area that requires
examination is the prevention and resolution of concerns such as harassment and violence.
Although the institution provided support services and resources, there was always space for
growth in terms of communication and instruction on these topics. Promoting a culture of
bystander intervention and enabling students to speak up when they see inappropriate behavior
could go a long way toward averting such incidents.
Reflecting on my time at the University of Alabama, I can see that the university was
dedicated to safety and security, and that resources were available to address various parts of
these concerns. However, there is always space for improvement in every institution. As a past
graduate, I wish to see continuous efforts to improve safety measures, more efficiently integrate
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technology, and establish a campus atmosphere where all students may prosper without worry for
their safety. It is a shared duty, and continual communication and collaboration among students,
teachers, staff, and administrators are critical to establishing a safer and more secure college
experience for all.
I agree with Writers in questioning the veracity of the online crime database. I recall
receiving notifications about on-campus crimes throughout my undergraduate years. When I later
tried to find these precise instances on the US Department of Education's Campus Safety and
Security Database, they were notably absent. In his paper "Enhancing Security on College
Campuses," Boubez makes some excellent ideas, one of which is the usefulness of an emergency
alert system in guaranteeing campus safety. According to Boubez (2020, para. 19), SMS alert
systems have become commonplace because most students and faculty have cellphones,
allowing for fast communication in urgent situations.
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References
Boubez, I. (2020). 6 Ways to Improve Security on College Campuses. Real Time Networks.
https://www.realtimenetworks.com/blog/universities-face-a-wide-array-of-securitythreats.
Parent, C. (2018). A 21st Century Approach to Campus Safety and Security. Campus Security &
Life Safety. https://campuslifesecurity.com/Articles/2018/12/01/A-21st-CenturyApproach-to-
Campus-Safety-and-Security.aspx?Page=3.
Writers, S. (2020, December 15). College and Campus Safety Guide. Affordable Colleges
Online. https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/campus-safetyguide/.
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