Spring Break
Disparity seen between on- and off-campus safety
Issue date: 9/18/08
Hopkins is the safest college campus for the second year running, according to a survey of 135 colleges conducted by Reader's Digest.
The publication graded colleges around the country based on 19 conditions, including percentage of dorms with full time security, percentage of campus protected by blue light alarms and percentage of dorms with a smoke detector on each floor. Hopkins scored a 99 percent or higher on all these conditions.
The only grading criterion that Hopkins did not score a 99 or 100 percent on was percentage of students in dorms with a sprinkler system, which was 73 percent.
Hopkins's closest competitors in overall national college ranking according to U.S. News and World Report, Cornell and Brown, did not participate in the Reader's Digest survey.
Columbia College, which was ranked 16th overall by U.S. News, was ranked at number 20 in terms of safety. Both Hopkins and Columbia were placed in the "A" safety range, however.
Hopkins has increasingly dedicated more resources to campus safety since 2004, which, according to Dean of Student Life Paula Burger, was a turning point in the school's security.
It was during this time that the school began to lay the groundwork for technological upgrades, including a new surveillance system, Segway scooters for security officers and cell phone text alerts.
Campus police officer Walter Barnes started working on campus in 1991 and is impressed by the significant changes that have been made to campus security over the years.
"The most important improvements to safety have been the emergency phones and CCTV [Closed Circuit TV] cameras and monitors. The Segways have also been very productive. You can get around to small spaces on and off campus. It gives the officer a good way to be visible," Barnes said.
The cameras have also been particularly useful in keeping an eye on campus.
"Cameras have been effective deterrents. They have caught people in the act of stealing bikes," Burger said.
The publication graded colleges around the country based on 19 conditions, including percentage of dorms with full time security, percentage of campus protected by blue light alarms and percentage of dorms with a smoke detector on each floor. Hopkins scored a 99 percent or higher on all these conditions.
The only grading criterion that Hopkins did not score a 99 or 100 percent on was percentage of students in dorms with a sprinkler system, which was 73 percent.
Hopkins's closest competitors in overall national college ranking according to U.S. News and World Report, Cornell and Brown, did not participate in the Reader's Digest survey.
Columbia College, which was ranked 16th overall by U.S. News, was ranked at number 20 in terms of safety. Both Hopkins and Columbia were placed in the "A" safety range, however.
Hopkins has increasingly dedicated more resources to campus safety since 2004, which, according to Dean of Student Life Paula Burger, was a turning point in the school's security.
It was during this time that the school began to lay the groundwork for technological upgrades, including a new surveillance system, Segway scooters for security officers and cell phone text alerts.
Campus police officer Walter Barnes started working on campus in 1991 and is impressed by the significant changes that have been made to campus security over the years.
"The most important improvements to safety have been the emergency phones and CCTV [Closed Circuit TV] cameras and monitors. The Segways have also been very productive. You can get around to small spaces on and off campus. It gives the officer a good way to be visible," Barnes said.
The cameras have also been particularly useful in keeping an eye on campus.
"Cameras have been effective deterrents. They have caught people in the act of stealing bikes," Burger said.
Be the first to comment on this story