Photo Courtesy of Frank C. Williams
By: Jordan White
Are “open” campuses an unsafe choice for college students? Auburn University at Montgomery prioritizes campus safety for students, faculty and staff, says the director of police operations on the campus.
The campus has been referred to as an “open campus” by students in comparison to others, but that is not the case. The openness of the campus is all about the perspective of what hard work goes into keeping the AUM campus safe.
In a recent interview, AUM’s Director of Police Operations Brenda Mitchell talked about the different ways that campus police advocate for campus safety. Mitchell, also known as Chief Mitchell, wants students to feel like they can approach her or any of the other campus police officers, no matter how big or small the issue is. “We’re here to support you; there’s nothing that we won’t do to support a student,” Mitchell said.
According to Inside Higher Ed, college students are more than six times likelier to say they feel safe on campus as opposed to feeling unsafe. The website also mentions that the campus community’s faith in the police depends on their experiences and perceptions. This is something Mitchell also considered as to why some students do not trust the police. But she assures all students that the officers on campus are very approachable. Campus police recommend that students always communicate with them if an issue ever occurs
The dedication of AUM’s police is demonstrated through how meticulously they have planned out their routine. The team is vigilant in patrolling the campus from early in the morning to late at night, ensuring that no suspicious activities go on. AUM has cameras planted around where everything is caught on display. While the cameras are running there is always someone in place 24/7 in the office paying attention and taking note of what goes on the campus grounds.
Each member of the campus police is trained as a Montgomery police officer. In an interview with high school senior Savannah Brown about why she would consider coming to AUM she said, “What’s making me consider going to AUM is how safe me and my family believe the campus is. When visiting it we saw the campus police patrolling around.” Brown’s parents and she values her safety above all else, so knowing there’s a school that does the same is comforting.
Coming soon this semester the AUM police department will host two active shooter training and self-defense classes for female students. Students are encouraged to attend and learn useful knowledge about keeping onself out of harm’s way.