Campus safety and security: Do we have the best practices in place?

Campus safety and security is a concern for students, parents, faculty, and school officials. Recent events have brought attention to specific policies and procedures that have been utilized in higher education throughout the United States. Colleges and universities have been required by federal law to disclose timely and annual information regarding campus crime and security. Campus crimes are often related to poor communication and lack of information sharing. Therefore, emergency notification plans are now being developed, modified and practiced at many universities and colleges around the country. Effective strategies to enhance campus safety involve everyone- students, faculty, administrators, security personnel, and the community at large. Each college and university should have a security plan in place to ensure critical incident plans are current, comprehensive, and regularly exercised and emphasize prevention, intervention, response and aftermath. The Center for Bioterrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness, in the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University provided a 2-day seminar in campus safety and security in three Florida Counties. Approximately 250 school and college administrators, campus security personnel and state, local and federal law enforcement officers attended. The program provided an overview of campus all-hazards preparedness, the role of campus administration, law enforcement and response management. Psychological implications were addressed as well as best practices and intervention strategies. An evaluation survey conducted at the conclusion of the program addressed current emergency practices in all-hazards preparedness and assessed changes in strategy and planning of current emergency practices.