THE REVIEW AND EXPANSION OF CAMPUS SAFETY

The Review and Expansion of Campus Safety

Prepared for Wayne State University Faculty and Board
Kindeep Dhatt
Wayne State University

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Letter of Transmittal
To: Wayne State University Faculty and Board
From: Kindeep Dhatt
Date: April 3, 2016
Re: Report on the Review and Expansion of Campus Safety.
For all students and faculty of the Wayne State University campus, I am pleased to submit the
attached copy of the operational test of our campus safety.
The results and outcomes of the research that has been conducted shows that there our school is
doing enough to ensure campus safety of all students and staff, but there are more ideas that can
be implemented to our system. Reviewing and researching on this specific problem of campus
safety and implementing new ideas has helped us determine what needs to be done to make
campus safer, however, the current system is designed well to help protect us from outside
threats. There are new solutions that will be implemented and worked on that are enclosed in this
document. The focus will be on:

Monitoring of campus building

Police surveillance
24 hours per day safety
Security cameras placed in each classroom

The next steps that should and will be taken are to get these solutions out to help the students and
staff of this facility as they continue to strive on campus. There will be developments that are
efficient for them to use on a daily basis, and it will help them with their fears of safety.
Encl: Report (1 copy)

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Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal..2
Introduction .......4
Research Methods and Results ..5-7
Overview of Proposed Solutions...8
Criteria...9
Evaluation of Solutions against Criteria..10
Conclusions and Recommendations,...11
References .......12
Appendix..13

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Introduction
The main purpose of this review and expansion process is to ensure campus safety. At the end of
every month, Wayne State students and faculty receive emails of the statistics on campus crimes
for that month from the Wayne State Police. Safe walks, which allow someone walking on
campus after hours to call the police to escort them, have also been implemented. There are also
security cameras around buildings, police cars on campus during after hours, and Wayne State
also urges students to call their number rather than calling 911 because the Detroit Police takes
much longer to show up at a scene compared to the Wayne State Police. Yes, these solutions are
already implemented, but according to the hundreds of robberies and thefts happening every
month, more needs to be done.

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Research Methods and Results

Survey of Students
For five days, Monday through Friday, random students were surveyed each day at 1:00 PM,
every day the surveys were set on a different location on campus to gain a broader range of
students. For example, on the first day the survey was held at student center, the second day the
survey was held at the undergraduate library, the third day it was held in a dorm building, and so
on. The students was be recruited to take a quick survey randomly, and the survey was just quick
and simple questions about how safe they feel on campus, and they were asked to answer in a
rating from 1 to 10 (1 being not safe at all and 10 being extremely safe).
Results: Series 1 = Wayne State University Students

When do Students Feel Unsafe?

80
70
60
50

Percentage of Students (%)

40
30
20
10

0
During Daytime Hours (8am - 6pm)

Time
Series 1

The results of these surveys were quite surprising. As displayed, many students had said that they
only feel unsafe during after hours, or when it gets dark. There is a huge rise in the number of
students that feel unsafe after hours. On a daily, walking to and from class they do not feel
threatened. However, they get afraid of being robbed when they see the reports of how many
robberies and thefts occur each month. They did mention that they dont know what they would
do in those situations or how would they reach help on campus in a quick and efficient manner.
Some solutions they suggested were police surveillance after hours, more than they already have,
and some students suggested ideas that are already implemented by the school, but they were not
aware of these safety features. This additionally led to the conclusion that many students are not
as educated on campus safety as they should be.

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Interviewing Wayne State Police

Interviewing Wayne State Police officer/s and seeing what their views are on the issue of campus
safety was helpful to see what more can be done to ensure campus safety. Also, asking the WSU
police on what problems they see arising in the future with the crime rate, was also beneficial in
getting a head start in preventing those issues. This also helped compare how safe students feel
versus how safe the police think they make students feel.
When interviewing the police officer, there were many solutions that they have already
implemented in their system, that many faculty and students are not aware of. These include
emergency poles positioned all around campus, and even another dial code in case of
emergencies. This dial code is 2222 and students can dial that number on to their phones
whenever there is an emergency and they are not able to contact the police. The officer told us
about what they do on a daily basis to keep us safe, and what new ideas they are constantly
thinking of to help protect us. They also did mention that the crime on campus is very
unpredictable, which is why they do as much as they can to help, with their surveillance, and the
safety features that are available each student and staff member.
Below is a table of the most recent statistics from the Wayne State Police Department, which was
released in Spring 2015.

Crime Statistics for April 2015

CRIME

APRIL 2015

YEAR TO DATE

Homicide

Forcible Sex Offense

Non Forcible Sex Offense

Robbery

Aggravated Assault

Burglary

Larceny

Motor Vehicle Theft

Arson

Domestic/Dating Violence

Stalking

(Wayne State University Police Department, 2015)

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Researching through Government Websites

The two website sources that were used are: the Office of Postsecondary Education - U.S.
Department of Education site and their viewpoints and stances on campus safety, and the Wayne
State Police website where the records of the past 16 years of crime statistics are available to
analyze. These sources helped get a better understanding of how postsecondary education
security is nationally, so that helped bring to focus what we need for this school locally.
According to the WSU Police, the crime is unpredictable, so the records show unpredictability.
We have some really good years, and really bad years, as the officer put it. Many of the national
security on campuses is very similar to what Wayne State already has, even though Wayne State
is not identical to those campuses, there are differences within campus size, and location.
However, some smaller campuses have indeed installed cameras within every classroom.
Because this solution has been beneficial in many high schools, smaller colleges have adapted it
as well as it is still budget family for those campuses with a small population.
Below is data focused on three crimes occurring on campus over the past four years. The data
represents the percentage of which these crimes occurred, out of all the crimes in that year.

Percentage of Crimes (2012-2015)

35
30
25
20

Percentage out of Total Crime Occurred

15
10
5
0

2012

2013

Year
Burglary

Sexual Assault

Stalking

2014

2015

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Overview of Proposed Solutions

1. Security Cameras in Every Classroom
Security Cameras in every classroom is a necessity. If someone was to go missing
right before or after a class, there is evidence that shows whether a person is in class or
not. Not every professor will be taking attendance to prove if a student was in class for
the duration of the class period. Also, if someone was to pull a dangerous stunt while in
class, there will be video evidence of that as well. To put aside any privacy concerns of
students and faculty, the cameras will only be used if a crime was to occur within the
class, or something with a student from that class was to occur. The cameras are in a
public university, and they will not in any way go beyond the reason of student safety.
2. Twenty-four hour Police Surveillance
This solution seems to be necessary as we are located in Midtown Detroit, and
students do not feel as safe in the after-hours. This means that police officers and vehicles
should be parked outside campus buildings from 6:00 PM onwards, until the building is
closed. For the Undergraduate Library, there should be night hour surveillance until 8:00
AM as students are constantly walking in and out of the building all night. Instead of
contacting safe walk, students should be able to feel safe walking in and out of the
library, and therefore be able to walk to their safe walk.

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Criteria
Feasibility
This criteria will determine and evaluate the possibility of each solution. How practical are these
solutions? How much will they cost? How difficult will it be to implement these solutions?
Benefit to School
This criteria will determine how each solution will benefit Wayne State University. The solutions
will help Wayne State University with their image as a school that normally has a higher crime
rate because of its location, and will help produce a safer environment that will help lower crime
statistics. Improving crime rate will be able to attract more students to attend the facility as
parents will feel safer sending their students, and students will be more willing to attend.
Benefit to Student
This criteria will determine how each solution will benefit our students. The solution will help
ensure safety for our students, so they feel relaxed when they are on campus, and not worried for
their safety as they attend a school in midtown Detroit. It will also help grow the student
population as more students will be willing to attend.

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Evaluation of Solutions against Criteria

Solution One: Security Cameras
The installation of cameras in every classroom will not be difficult to implement, but it will be
costly. It is very practical to have cameras in every building and classroom, as it does increase
the safety of students, and that being said, the cost does not outweigh the benefits. A small
portion of the tuition money of each student will be put towards a one-time cost to install all
cameras. New cameras will not be needed each year, which is why it is only a one time cost
because installation once will last a lifetime. The installation of cameras will help increase the
student intake for the following years, as more students will be attending knowing that they are
safe, even though we are a facility located in Detroit, and this will result in more tuition money
coming in to help compensate for the money lost in installation of cameras.
Solution Two: Police Surveillance
Wayne State University Police surveillance will not be costly, the extra gas money that the
Wayne State Police Department will have to pay for standby police cars will be the only cost.
There are enough officers employed at the WSU police that it will be easy to put their officers
out on campus, and that will still leave a few to work inside the department building. Also, they
will be changing shifts every couple hours, that way they are not outside in a vehicle for the
whole duration of their shifts. This solution is practical, as it not only increases safety for
students, but also makes the students feel much safer that the WSU Police is around when they
are walking during night hours. It will also not be difficult at all to implement this solution, as
more officers just need to stay on campus.

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Conclusion and Recommendations

Both solutions are cost-effective, and will benefit the school and the school's students and staff.
Upon the implementation of both of these solutions, Wayne State University's crime rate will
decrease, and therefore will help ensure the safety of students and faculty.
My recommendation would be to implement both solutions, as they are both beneficial to the
students and faculty, and the school itself in the long run. Crime rates will decrease, and more
students will attend the facility with little to no worries about campus safety. Campus safety is an
issue nationwide, not just at Wayne State University, but if the crime rate is brought down it will
benefit the facility in numerous ways. There will be evidence of any misconduct in classrooms, if
needed, and there will also be quick respond police since they will already be on campus for
surveillance.

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References
U.S. Department of Education (2016, March). The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis
Cutting Tool. Retrieved from http://ope.ed.gov/security/
Wayne State University (2015, December 18). Wayne State University Police Department:
Crime Stats. Retrieved from http://police.wayne.edu/crime_stats.php?year=2015

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Appendix
Survey Questions:
1) Circle one: What is your gender?

Male/Female

2) Circle one: What year are you currently in? (Note: If you are faculty, please state your position
on the line after the options are addressed)
Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior/Other

______________________________

3) State your ethnicity:

4) On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being not safe at all, 10 being very safe), how safe do you feel when
walking to class?
5) On a scale of 1 to 10, how safe do you feel while sitting in class?
6) *FOR COMMUTERS* On a scale of 1 to 10, how safe do you feel walking to your car after
your classes are over for the day?
7) *FOR STUDENTS WHO LIVE ON CAMPUS* On a scale of 1 to 10, how safe do you feel
walking back to your dorm/apartment after you are done with class for the day?
8) On a scale of 1 to 10, how safe do you feel overall on campus?
9) What safety features does this campus include that you know you can use if necessary?
9) Explain why you feel the way you do in Question #8, and leave any additional comments you
please about your thoughts on campus safety. Please also let us know if you have any
suggestions on what we can do to make campus safer for you!
Interview Questions:
1) How safe do you think students and faculty feel on campus grounds?
2) How safe do you believe students and faculty actually are on campus grounds?
3) How do you help and ensure safety of the residents of campus, and students and faculty?
4) What are some plans and methods you have implemented to protect WSU?
5) Explain a typical day of an officer at the WSUPD, from when they start work to when they
end.
6) I did my research on the crime statistics on campus for the past 15 years, I see that there was a
drastic change from 2004-2006, where crime increased. What factors led to that outcome and
how are we preventing that today?
7) Is the WSUPD constantly finding new ways to ensure safety, or do you stick to your regular
methods and improve on them as you feel necessary?

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