Research and news stories document harmful, racialized encounters between campus police and minoritized populations. However, little is known about how campus police officers perceive racial dynamics in their work. As part of a critical case study of campus police at one historically white private university, theories of racial ideology guided the…

Campus public safety plays an essential role in student retention and success at any university or college. To best support students' emotional and physical security, campus police should be aware of their perceptions and expectations of the police as the law enforcement entity directly responsible for their safety. This quantitative study…

Too frequently, and often too late, academic librarians learn of patron experiences involving problem patrons, misdemeanor criminal activity, or poorly secured areas. Regrettably, these experiences can irrevocably diminish perceptions of access to the vibrant learning spaces and services offered by our institutions. This article assesses the…

An analysis of eleven state task force reports prompted by the tragic nature of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 revealed that all shared a primary theme: no "single best way" to protect American college and university campuses yet exists. These documents, individually and collectively, make it clear that contemporary complex learning…

Campus police forces operate under a difficult mandate of competing and conflicting goals. Officers are charged with protecting institutions whose basic mission is to provide a peaceful, open campus setting that encourages freedom of movement and expression. Campuses are generally unguarded and open to the general public and their buildings,…

Opportunities abound for prospective employees in the protective services. On the surface, it appears that few employers require a college education as a condition of employment at the state or local level. But the reality is that many employers use at least some college as a screening tool for prospective employees. Although the federal…

Many campus law enforcement administrators reach a point where they need to request additional staff. Unless the department is awash in extra funding or is in the wake of a major incident that brought significant attention to current manpower, they're likely fighting an uphill battle for growth. The effectiveness of formulas that analyze the size…

Many security professionals choose the career because of an interest in the technology of security. Few realize the degree to which a contemporary security office interacts with law enforcement agencies (LEAs) such as the FBI and state, local, and campus police. As the field of information security has matured, the language of risk management is…

Education administrators have many tools available to them as they strive to establish a safe climate for learning, but no one strategy or piece of equipment is a magic solution that keeps potential trouble beyond the campus boundaries. Creating and maintaining a safe and secure school environment requires a balance of many strategies: (1)…

If a campus has students who are deaf or hard of hearing, its Public Safety department needs to become aware of some basic information about deafness in order to serve those students well. Public Safety officers may interact with deaf students in a variety of situations: (1) Reporting a theft; (2) Emergency medical situations; (3) Reporting items…