Using Technology to Improve Campus Safety Operations

Students expect to be able to attend school and feel that they are in a safe environment, and college campuses have security measures to make sure that this is a reality. However, issues such as increased gun violence, cybersecurity attacks and school shootings raise an all-too-real concern. Are higher education institutions fully equipped to keep students safe?

Leveraging innovative technology is vital to improving safety operations on your campus. Higher ed institutions need interoperable, cloud-based solutions to enhance safety efforts and emergency response.

Using Interoperability to Increase Student Safety

College campuses are susceptible to the same public safety issues that neighboring communities also experience. Across the nation, learning institutions have been affected by increased violent crimes that nearby communities are facing. In fact, a recent study through ADT Security found that 82% of American college students don’t feel safe on campus.

University security departments need technology that eliminates the boundaries of coordinated emergency response efforts with neighboring agencies. A modern CAD-to-CAD system connects agencies for smarter utilization of resources. This ensures greater data accuracy, faster response times and more saved lives.

The power of interoperability is vital for campuses like the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), which is surrounded by the outside community. With CentralSquare’s CAD-to-CAD, the university’s police department has access to the same real-time information as local agencies. As Baltimore Police Department receives emergency calls, the UMB police department immediately receives the same information to coordinate response units to an incident, and communicate with fire departments and EMS.

The ability to coordinate response efforts is necessary because incidents aren’t limited to just campus premises. Students can encounter an emergency situation anywhere. Whether it’s on campus, or down the street in a local establishment, your campus police department needs to be aware

Having real-time connection and data sharing between campus and local law enforcement keeps your department better informed and equipped with the technology to improve student safety.

Campus Security in The Cloud

College campuses are experiencing an increase in cyber-attacks. In 2021, approximately 74% of ransomware attacks on higher ed institutions succeeded. The research found that college campuses were easy targets due to their lack of preparation for a cyber threat.

Part of ensuring safety in higher ed also includes information security. Investing in cloud-based technology is an effective method for keeping sensitive data and records secure. Cloud technology is not a luxury or a future innovation for consideration, but it is a present necessity for public safety.

The reality is that cyber threats can pose a real danger to students’ physical safety. The implications of a successful cyber-attack on your campus can mean the exposure of student records and sensitive information like phone numbers, emails and addresses. A successful attack can also lead to compromised security systems.

It is a difficult task to manage the daily operations of campus security while also handling the task of cybersecurity. Cloud-based solutions are a perfect way to keep your information protected, while not having the sole responsibility of managing your digital assets.

Cloud vendors act as a partner in helping run a secure organization. They have dedicated teams who are solely focused on information security. These vendors are held to high compliance standards when it comes to protecting your data.

Cyber-attacks not only have an effect on information security, but campuses also suffer from downtime in operations.  In the event of an attack, cloud providers work to restore data and get you up and running as quickly as possible.

Security and physical safety for higher ed extend beyond upgraded cameras and new computers. Your department must also consider making the necessary move to cloud technology to modernize your security efforts.

Reporting for Campus Safety Incidents

Having modernized reporting capabilities for all campus safety incidents is vital for preparing for future emergencies. This capability allows you to find areas of improvement to modify your processes and procedures.

CentralSquare’s Public Safety Suite is a fully integrated system from end-to-end, allowing critical information to flow easily between records systems. A key benefit to this software is the configurability to work the way you work. You have the ability to create custom forms, reports and workflows that fit your organization’s needs.

In addition to configurability, this suite also features automated processes, saving you time by replacing manual spreadsheets and stand-alone data tracking systems. Reporting campus safety issues is important because it allows you to identify successes and failures. You need a system that is quickly accessible and easy to use, allowing your officers to focus on the most vital task – keeping students safe.

Prioritizing Technology Investments

The goal of any higher education institution is to provide education for students and to do so in a safe environment. While policies and procedures for campus safety are important, you also need the technology to support your efforts.

It may be time to assess if your current technology fits your needs for the present and future. Have a conversation today with our team of experts to learn how we can partner with you in modernizing your campus safety operations.

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