1. Appoint a Public Safety Advisory Committee
University of Rochester leaders and the Department of Public Safety are partnering with a new advisory committee to build a forward-thinking campus safety environment.
Five-Point Plan for Campus Safety Across Our University
To enhance campus safety and ensure inclusive, fair, and equitable security practices across the institution, the University engaged consulting firm Margolis Healy in fall 2022. The goal was to provide a comprehensive review of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and campus safety security policies and practices.
Margolis Healy spent several months meeting with DPS leadership and personnel as well as University faculty, staff, students, and members of the Public Safety Review Board (PSRB). The five-point plan addresses the firm’s top recommendations:
- Reimagine the Public Safety Review Board (in place since 2016)
- Hire a permanent Public Safety chief
- Ensure the University’s firearm policy is fully understood by students, faculty, and staff
A Path Forward
The five-point plan is the path forward for implementing Margolis Healy’s key recommendations. The plan, active as of September 2023, puts a framework in place to strengthen the University of Rochester’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) and to ensure inclusive, fair, and equitable security practices across the institution.
2. Elevate the Public Safety leadership position
A national search firm has been selected to work with a University search committee to find a permanent Department of Public Safety leader. For the first time, the chief of Public Safety will be an associate vice president-level position, as well as a Cabinet member. The elevated role is responsible for a University-wide approach to inclusive, diverse and respectful public safety through best practices in readiness, response, crime prevention, as well as safety awareness, campus and community engagement, innovative programming, and communications.
3. Improve understanding of current DPS firearms policy
Make the current DPS firearms policy easily accessible to the University community.
4. Continue consideration of consultant recommendations
With an associate vice president of Public Safety and the Public Safety Advisory Committee in place, the University will be well equipped to provide careful consideration to additional recommendations provided by our consultant.
5. Revisit regularly
Review the University’s overall approach to public safety to ensure it remains forward thinking, effective, inclusive, fair, respectful, and based on best practices.
ONGOING
“The new Public Safety Advisory Committee will open an avenue for new ideas, dialogue between campus communities, and attunement to evolving expectations and stakeholder feedback, so collaboration can flourish. The advisory committee’s advice and input will also help to inform University leadership decision-making, so resources can be prioritized and allocated.”
– Charge of UR Public Safety Advisory Committee