A safe school campus provides a conducive learning environment where students can pursue their academic and extracurricular activities with peace of mind. However, safety incidents like theft, trespassing, violence, and natural events are still likely to happen. Protecting the school community should be a priority for any educational institution, which is why physical security on campuses is important now more than ever.
In this blog, we’ll talk about best practices in physical security that you can adopt to strengthen your existing security measures. Let’s get started.
Why Campus Safety and Security is Important
The increasing incidences of cybersecurity attacks on academic institutions pose a significant challenge to Philippine state universities and colleges. When campuses feel unsafe, there’s fear and low morale, which negatively impacts academic performance and mental health. This is why the importance of physical security on campuses cannot be overstated.
So, what is campus safety and security? It involves the policies, procedures, and measures taken by an educational facility to protect students, faculty, staff, and visitors from harm within the perimeters of the school. The goal is to safeguard against threats that compromise physical safety and institutional information.
8 Ways to Improve Campus Safety and Security
The key to campus safety is having a comprehensive plan that includes preventive measures and standard protocols for common threats. Here are ways how best to improve campus safety and security:
1. Increase Security Presence
Increasing the presence of campus police or security officers helps deter crime. Students and staff can also easily approach security guards to report any suspicious activity or hazard. Deploying security personnel to patrol remote and less frequented spots and monitor entrances, exits, and high-traffic areas also ensures that incidents are detected and resolved promptly.
2. Monitor School Premises
Campuses are often expansive, with multiple buildings, open spaces, and facilities spread over large areas. Security personnel cannot be present everywhere simultaneously, so strategically placing video surveillance cameras ensures that these areas are constantly monitored and documented in real time.
3. Limit Access Control
Given the many facilities and the high volume of people on campus, access to certain areas should only be limited to authorized individuals. Limiting access control helps manage the flow of students, staff, and visitors. It’s advisable to replace older access control systems since these tend to be disjointed, making it more complicated to operate doors and key card rights remotely. A practical solution is installing open-architecture security software so security personnel can seamlessly manage access control across all devices and points of entry.
4. Practice Drills for Emergencies
Campus emergency drills are more than just routine exercises; they help schools better prepare for any crisis. By conducting frequent safety and emergency drills, educational institutions can establish a well-coordinated and well-rehearsed response.
Drills are designed to simulate different scenarios so the community knows what to do when a specific situation arises. For example, the most common emergency drills include preparations and responses to fire, natural disasters (such as earthquakes and fires), bomb threats, and evacuations.
In addition to regular drills, it’s important to have an emergency action plan to ensure physical security on campuses. A solid emergency action plan details a clear chain of command so that staff know who is in charge and students know who to listen to. It should also identify all exits and routes to safety.
5. Invest in Technology
Leveraging innovative technology is vital to improving campus safety and security. Advancements such as CCTV and thermal scanning provide security personnel with greater capabilities to potentially save lives.
Combining visual surveillance with thermal detection covers a wide range of security threats. The presence of CCTV acts as a deterrent to criminals and enables live monitoring. Meanwhile, thermal scanning can quickly and efficiently measure body temperatures or heat sources to prevent health or fire hazards.
The integration of both CCTV and thermal scanners ensures that campus security personnel can respond more swiftly to possible threats.
6. Conduct Regular Security Audits
In the spirit of taking a proactive approach to campus security, schools must conduct regular safety audits to assess the effectiveness of existing security protocols and determine potential weaknesses. These audits allow academic institutions to identify vulnerabilities, mitigate risks, and comply with regulations and standards.
7. Enhance Visibility
Improving campus safety through enhanced visibility involves lighting, landscaping, and signage. Campuses are vast and difficult to navigate, especially at night and during emergencies. Adequate lighting and signage help guide students and staff to their destination. Strategic landscaping prevents overgrown foliage from creating hiding spots near walkways and entrances. Together, these measures create a safer, more secure campus.
8. Promote a Culture of Security
Promoting a culture of security on campus is all about creating an environment where everyone feels secure and can depend on each other. Start by conducting regular safety workshops for students, faculty, and staff. Reporting concerns and incidents should also be encouraged, not frowned upon or invalidated. Involving the whole community in safety initiatives and establishing open communication helps build spaces where safety is a shared responsibility.
Improving campus safety and security is crucial for the well-being of the school community. By adopting these security measures, we can ensure that campuses remain a secure haven for learning and growth.
Maintain Safety Protocols on Campuses with Kital
If you’re thinking of ways to improve campus safety and security, trust only Kital. We are an official Dahua product supplier, offering video-centric smart IoT solutions to organizations, retail businesses, and other types of commercial establishments.
Campuses often need both forms of protection to ensure comprehensive safety against threats. That’s why we enhance cybersecurity measures with robust physical security systems. Let us help you fortify your campus, both physically and digitally.
Contact us today to learn more about the best options for your academic institution.
