Dive Brief:
- Ed Tech Magazine profiles a list of campus policing technologies which may have helped reported incidents decline by more than 40% over the last 11 years nationwide.
- Mobile alert and handheld panic buttons, smart cameras, digital signage, police body cameras and access cards highlight the list of technologies that allow students quicker access to police in emergency situations, faster entry into facilities, and safer transit across campus at night with clearer directions.
- The technologies are highly effective in promoting information sharing about potential criminal activity and public nuisances, which help to create profiles on potential crime hotspots.
Dive Insight:
Most campuses take advantage of one or some of the technologies listed in this profile, which have made for higher security overall. But these advancements can also create an expectation that most, if not all crime can be prevented or solved by police, including more difficult and covert occurrences like sexual assault, burglary or harassment; and this perspective can create complex public relations incidents if they reach the media.
Campuses still must invest in raising awareness among students and faculty about being watchful of surroundings and personal responsibility, and the idea that even the most state-of-the-art campus reporting and response systems come with costs and are not replacements for personal and community focus on prevention.