Now that university campuses are no longer bound by any coronavirus restrictions, classes are back in the full swing of things. With potentially thousands of students, faculty and administration walking the campus at any time of day or night, security and safety have once again become a prime consideration. Sadly, there isn’t a day that passes by when we aren’t hearing of some form of illegal activity taking place on campus grounds, in or outside of buildings. How then, can we ramp up security so that students and staff are safe from the threat of violence and other criminal activity? At least four effective ways to improve campus safety come to mind.
1. Visible Identity Cards
Perhaps one of the easiest ways to identify who should be on campus at any given time would be requiring students and staff to wear identity cards from a lanyard around their neck. These would be printed right on campus with the person’s photo on the card and other information that administration deems necessary such as their student ID or staff ID number. There are various types of lanyards available, as well as card printers, which you can find by checking out the website of these identity lanyard specialists. Ordering wholesale, bespoke lanyards would ensure a steady supply on hand.
2. Access Control Cards
Perhaps students and staff could also be given access control cards that would allow them into specific buildings and rooms. These could also be worn on their lanyard, making them readily available as needed and in a place where they aren’t likely to be lost at the bottom of a backpack or bag.
3. Well-Lit Grounds After Dark
Although a growing number of students are taking online classes to avoid attending evening classes on campus, this just isn’t reasonable for all classes. Labs are especially problematic and if it’s a large campus with large enrolment, evening labs would be a must. By ensuring that all walkways and parking lots are well lit, everyone would not only feel safer, but they would actually be safer as well. Criminals don’t often commit heinous crimes in broad daylight, so the safety of anyone with reason to be out and about on campus would be heightened.
4. Monitored Security Cameras
Security cameras are always advisable, but if they aren’t monitored, the only thing they can do is perhaps indicate who was responsible for theft, vandalism or some other kind of crime, after the fact. If you are intent on ensuring the security and safety of property and people on campus, monitored security cameras are your best option. Also, it would mean that you’d have security guards on campus as well at all times of day and night, so really, that would be a fifth way to improve safety in addition to the four being listed here.
It goes without saying that university campuses are prone to illegal activity and so the more ways you can work to prevent it, the safer your staff and students will be. Take the time to research where you’ve had the most issues in the past and that’s where you start investing in safety measures. It’s up to you to prevent crime on campus, and this is how you’ll start.
