More than three-quarters of students, faculty and staff responding to a campus Police Department survey feel “very safe” or “somewhat safe” on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Nearly 1,100 campus affiliates participated in the survey last spring to gauge their views of campus safety, including recommendations for improvement. A sampling of concerns included pedestrian safety along Montview Boulevard, outdoor lighting and the recent regional rise in motor vehicle thefts.
More than 60% of survey participants said the Police Department has a “good” or “very good” reputation, while 37% said they had a neutral opinion.
“We appreciate everyone’s candor in participating in this survey and we want to be transparent in providing the results, as well as what we plan to do to increase campus safety,” said Randy Repola, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus police chief. “We are fortunate in that we have very few crimes against people, such as sex assaults and robberies. Our most frequent crime here is motor vehicle theft, which mirrors the increase we’ve seen throughout the Aurora and Denver regions. Reducing this crime is our No. 1 priority with increased patrols and other strategies. In the weeks ahead, we will announce a technological tool that we believe will deter motor vehicle theft.”
Repola said the Police Department has already followed up on other suggestions from the survey, including student, faculty and staff concerns about pedestrian safety along Montview Boulevard and other areas of campus. Over the summer, thanks to a partnership with Associate Vice Chancellor Jay Campbell, his Facilities Management team oversaw the installation of user-activated, push-button crosswalk lighting systems in key pedestrian areas throughout campus.
“We will continue to review the comments in the survey and take action in the interest of campus safety,” Repola said. “For example, some people have a neutral view of our department and believe our officers are not visible enough. We want to be more integrated with the campus community. If we can visit your department or attend your event, please get in touch with us. We also know we need to do a better job of communicating the wide array of services we provide.”
The Police Department is a full-service agency whose officers receive the same state-mandated training as their city police officer counterparts. The department also offers security escorts during hours of darkness, vehicle jump-starts, door openings for those who have locked themselves out of their office, access control for all buildings, security badging and classes on active harmer response and other emergency skills. The department’s Emergency Management Division also supports the SafeZone personal safety app, which 77% of respondents knew about.
To read the full results of the survey, see the Police Department’s website.
Photo at top: A University Police officer visits with a member of the campus community at the CU Anschutz Block Party.
Guest contributor: Ryan Huff, University Police communications