Campus Safety has been a part of Keene State College’s campus for many years, and is here for the safety of everyone that is on campus.
According to Campus Safety Director Amanda Guthorn, Campus Safety has not been externally assessed since 1999. Seventeen years later, Guthorn and Vice President Kemal Atkins called D. Stafford and Associates to assess Campus Safety and their several areas in a meeting on Monday, September 19.
Chief of Police at Wake Forest University Regina Lawson and Senior Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police at Berklee College of Music Roy J. Murphy CPP were amongst the assessment and said they came to KSC to meet with as many people on campus as possible.
In an email sent by Guthorn, Murphy and Lawson looked for the status and authority of the department, management, staffing, and operations of Campus Safety, along with its structure, parking and traffic. A physical security assessment, that includes reviewing video cameras and fire safety and security alarms, was also conducted.
Lawson has been involved in campus safety assessments across the country for 20 years and said that KSC looks good thus far.
“So far things have been very progressive. We are halfway through the first day, so all good news at this point,” said Lawson.
Murphy has done these evaluations both nationally and internationally in countries such as Spain. He said that assessments of Campus Safety Departments are important because the mission of the college is to make students their priority; that includes protection as well as education.
“I think anytime an institution brings in folks to look at process improvement it can only help,” said Murphy. “It’s nothing more than an objective set of eyes outside of Keene that’s coming in to look at and measure against existing standards.”
All of the people Murphy and Lawson talked with at the assessment were students that included a Resident Assistant, a student dispatcher, and a student.
Sophomore Peter Powers attended the assessment and said that it will bring change on campus.
“I think they are a positive asset to the college. Just knowing what is good and what is bad and what could need improvement,” said Powers.
KSC Junior and Resident Assistant Sam Whitaker said he felt the assessment will yield great results for Campus Safety because his encounters with the officers have been generally pleasant.
“I think as a whole it will show students, faculty, administration, parents and the community that Keene State is interested in looking inwards,” Whitaker said. “I think that’s a really good quality.”
Lawson and Murphy are not positive when the results of their assessment will be released.
Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com
