When new and returning University of Georgia students come to Athens for the fall semester, they will notice a series of highly visible initiatives to further strengthen campus security — from new signs and perimeter fencing to lighting upgrades, emergency call stations and automatic license plate readers.
Students, faculty, staff and visitors also will see more uniformed personnel — including a new unit of Campus Safety Ambassadors, who will augment the efforts of UGA Police by serving as student escorts and providing extra “eyes and ears” across campus during evening hours.
The university’s $7.3 million investment in new security initiatives this year adds to the more than $16 million in campus security measures enacted during the past eight years — bringing UGA’s total investment in safety and security enhancements during that time to more than $23 million.
“There is no higher priority at the University of Georgia than the safety and security of our campus community,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We continually evaluate our safety programs in close collaboration with our partners. Our ongoing investments are strengthening virtually all aspects of campus security.”
Funding for the new security initiatives, in addition to previously approved campus safety measures, has been provided from state resources as well as private contributions from the UGA Parents Leadership Council, the UGA Foundation, the President’s Venture Fund, the UGA Athletic Association and other internal and external partners.
“In addition to enhancing security, these investments demonstrate the depth of our commitment to protect our campus community,” said P. Daniel Silk, the university’s associate vice president for public safety, who is overseeing the implementation of enhanced security initiatives across campus.
Campus Safety Ambassadors
Silk said he is particularly excited about the new Campus Safety Ambassadors, who began working on campus in June. Though they are not police officers, their after-hours presence in areas in which students often walk and congregate on campus will magnify the impact of other campus safety efforts.
Campus Safety Ambassadors also can escort students to their housing and other locations on campus as they walk back from student events or studying, and they will have radio communications with police personnel in the event of an emergency or incident that requires police officers to respond.
Funding for the new ambassadors is part of a permanent 20% increase to the UGA Police Department’s budget, which will enable the department to bolster its recruitment and retention efforts and increase the number of campus safety personnel.
“The university has focused on continuing to recruit and retain police personnel who are exceptional. In that spirit, UGA’s compensation for police is among the best in the state,” Silk said.
These additions to the safety and security team will provide an enhanced security presence where students regularly study and congregate at night, including the Miller Learning Center, the UGA Libraries, the Tate Student Center and the Ramsey Student Center. Augmented security personnel at the UGA Libraries will ensure a security presence in all library facilities, while access to the UGA Main Library and McBay Science Library has been limited to UGA students, faculty and staff during evening hours.
UGA Safe app
UGA students, parents, faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up for the UGA Safe App, which includes a series of robust security features such as:
- Mobile BlueLight, which immediately calls UGA Police and shares the user’s location in real time.
- Friend Walk, which displays a student’s location to select friends.
- Contact Police, which allows students to immediately report concerns to UGA Police.
Subscribers to the UGA Safe app also receive emergency notifications from UGA Police. To date, nearly 17,000 members of the university community have downloaded the UGA Safe app.
Enhanced lighting
Lighting upgrades, which began over the summer, include more crosswalks, particularly near residence halls with high foot traffic, augmenting the university’s ongoing effort to evaluate lighting across campus. In addition, nearly 400 lights on campus are being converted to LED technology, which produces a much brighter light at night.
Members of the university community are already noticing.
“The implementation of enhanced lighting on campus has already begun contributing to student safety by improving nighttime visibility and creating safer environments for those traveling on campus,” said Rock Rogers, incoming president of the Student Government Association and a rising fourth-year student from Dublin, Georgia. “This enhanced lighting initiative is one of several new safety measures that are helping students feel safer and more confident as we commute across campus.”
Automated license plate readers
This summer, the university began installing the first of 20 automated license plate readers (ALPR) in strategic locations on campus. This system of sensors will work in conjunction with UGA’s existing Campus Safety Camera System (CSCS) to provide an important additional technological resource for police investigating crimes.
UGA currently has more than 500 camera views that are captured by CSCS, and in many instances they can also record license plates. The ALPR system, however, is designed specifically for that purpose and will be positioned across campus to maximize the likelihood that drivers entering or leaving the UGA community will have their license plates recorded.
Emergency call stations
Emergency call boxes with cameras are being added to select sites throughout campus.
The new call box systems will offer multifunctional capabilities that also incorporate security cameras, additional lighting and Wi-Fi, which will facilitate calls using the internet and a cross connection with the PAWS Secure wireless network. These call box systems will be located in areas of campus identified to benefit from additional camera coverage and enhanced lighting.
New signs and perimeter fencing
New perimeter fencing is being erected in several sections of campus, and new signage emphasizes that the entire campus is protected by robust security camera coverage.
UGA Ride Smart
The UGA Ride Smart program, which provides a 50% discount on Lyft rides for UGA students, has been extended four hours per day and will now operate from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“Many students have utilized the Ride Smart program to travel safely across campus and the greater Athens area. It offers a secure travel option, and with the extended operation hours, students now have more convenient access to this resource,” Rogers said. “This initiative has significantly contributed to the safety of students traveling on and off campus.”
Since its launch in December 2021, Ride Smart has provided more than 85,000 rides to UGA students.
Emergency Preparedness
The university recently invested in additional resources to enhance the ability of the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) to provide support to faculty, staff and students on campus. Available assistance from OEP includes:
- Training and other products to help students plan for emergencies.
- Development of and training about building emergency plans for employees, which are required for all facilities.
- Development of and training about business continuity plans.
In-person training, including tabletop exercises and active-shooter response training, on request by individual units, divisions and departments.