FEATURE | SECURIT Y ON CAMPUS | 07


at the University of Surrey, believes that effective use of technology is helping his team to work in a smarter way. For example, they now wear video cameras allowing them to instantly document incidents. The team also recently invested in a more sophisticated alarm system that can detect temperature rises in vulnerable areas, allowing them to respond quickly to help prevent fires – and, crucially, false alarms, which are time-consuming to deal with. Brinkley says: “We need to constantly move with the times. Data tracking will allow us to keep an eye on vulnerable individuals; for example, if a researcher with mobility issues is working in the middle of the night, technology might show that they’ve had a fall.”


A shared mission There are also increasingly examples of security services working together across universities to drive standards and procure products and services more efficiently. Brinkley explains: “Working together gives us significant bargaining power. I think that’s the way to go.” Suton agrees: “We are trying from a regional perspective to collaborate between universities on core training and core uniform. Say we went to a student demonstration, the University of Birmingham could call on us at Aston University to support them, and we would join them, wearing the same uniform.” And the aim? The mantra is unchanged. Suton says: “It’s about making our community feel more safe and secure. We are all moving towards the same target, the same strategic vision.”


Key security concerns for students


The top seven factors which make students vulnerable to crime on campus, and how universities are solving these issues


1


Students’ designer clothes, gadgets and other high-value items may be


vulnerable to burglary


Solution: encourage students to register their high-value items on sites like immobilise.com, and provide tips on keeping valuables locked away


2 3 4


Information – students may not know basic information such as


who to call and when to dial 999


Solution: meeting and greeting students and their parents with key messages as they arrive at university can allay fears and remind them of the basics


Cash may be kept in high value denominations


Solution: provide advice on opening bank accounts


Behaviour such as playing loud music, or nocturnal activity, may


be perceived as antisocial by others


Solution: good relationships between security services and students, including patrols, can help everyone understand what's acceptable and when


5


Drug and alcohol abuse may cause problems


Solution: health education and promotions on campus play a part here, and good sense tells people not to change their habits while they are settling in and getting to know their new environment


6


Empty houses out of term time can make students


vulnerable to burglary


Solution: undergraduates in particular need to remove valuables from their homes when they go away on holiday, and ask neighbours to keep an eye out


7


Students may be unaware of their personal safety


Solution: freshers need to understand that it is better to stick to the main roads at night, and to use licensed taxis when they go out; some universities offer free self-defence 


8


Students may be on campus outside term time


Solution: some universities ask their holiday residents to register in advance so that patrols can keep an eye on them


Aston image: Aston University. Students image: University of Surrey


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