Campus police chief to advocate security with safety lectures

Print This Post

Campus police chief to advocate security with safety lectures

9-1-1 in the Classroom, Classroom | Caitlin | September 7, 2011 at 9:19 am

ST. GEORGE, UT — Dixie State College’s student government and campus security are collaborating on a chain of lectures on student safety that will occur roughly once a month over the course of the semester.

The first of these lectures will be held in the Cottam Room of the Gardner Student Center today from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. The topic of today’s lecture will be general campus safety.

“Originally we wanted to include an element of campus security to the freshman year experience class,” said Don Reid, campus chief of security. “But then I was approached by student services who wanted a lecture series, and I was happy to make this information available to the whole student body.”

Reid said on campus, security is an issue that goes in and out of common discussion. After the Virginia Tech shooting a few years ago campus security was a prevalent concern. Since it has fallen out of discussion.

“There are three reasons we’re holding these lectures,” Reid said. “First is for the safety of students, the second is a liability concern on campus, and the third is to clearly show security methods in compliance with the Clery Act.”

The Clery Act requires all schools to report on crime statistics and disclose the methods schools use to reduce risk to students.

Among methods once considered to improve security on campus were alarm posts that students could use to alert security if they felt they were at risk.

“Given our research we concluded those would not be a viable option,” Reid said. “Among other reasons, we wouldn’t want to cause unnecessary risk. Suppose one wasn’t working and you had a student waiting there for help that wasn’t coming?”

Reid said one of the greatest ways a student can protect his or herself was to carry a cell phone.

“All you have to do is hit 9-1-1 on speed-dial or show a potential assailant that you’re recoding the conversation,” Reid said. “That’d be a huge demoralizer. They’re most likely to leave you alone after that.”

Additional lectures will be held this semester. Upcoming lectures include: Date Rape on Sept. 28., Alcohol, Drugs and Parties on Oct 24., and Sexual Harassment on Nov. 24.

Read the story here.