A new joint report by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. In addition, the report covers topics such as victimization, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, the presence of security staff at school, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions.

How does Hector Rodriguez, Director of Public Safety and Security at Marymount California University, secure the campus, residential areas, staff members and students?

For educational institutions, it may seem like there are never enough resources to cover all of the risks, incidents or areas of a campus. However, by partnering with police and other first responders, school security leaders can gain additional expertise, local risk updates and even force multipliers.

“When I had the opportunity to move from parking and transportation at the University to leading the strategic security and safety effort on campus, we made a very strategic and important decision to build the structure to be broader than law enforcement. We incorporated all aspects of campus safety and security,” says Dr. Bob Harkins of the University of Texas, Austin. “That decision speaks volumes about the leadership at the University. It was a decision to make this department an enabler for the business of protecting and educating students, faculty and staff. That was a very strategic decision encompassing law enforcement, campus safety and security, business continuity and risk management as core missions.”