Each year,
about 20 million students attend colleges and universities in America, living, working and learning on campuses that they trust to be safe. In fact, safety is a top priority for students and parents alike when choosing a school. So many of the factors that go into choosing the right college for a student involve personal preference — the size of the school, activities offered, types of majors available. But campus safety is one issue that affects every student, no matter what their major or what size campus they attend. In fact, in a survey of parents, 75 percent ranked a safe environment as highly important when evaluating college options.
How Safe are College Campuses?
College campuses are like their own little cities, with a population of people gathered together living in a relatively contained area. The types of crimes mirror those of life outside of campus, including theft, assault and sex offenses. The good news is, the rate of crime on campuses is going down. Numbers reported by the United States Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security office show a drop of almost 20 percent in the last 10 years, from 56,438 crimes reported in 2007 to 38,100 in 2017.
While the numbers have been going down, awareness of crimes on campuses is going up. High-profile cases like the Stanford rapist grab headlines and highlight the incidences of sexual assault on campuses. Also, students’ ability to share incidences through social media bring added awareness to students and parents about what takes place on college campuses.
Improving Security with Video Surveillance
Colleges and universities throughout North Carolina and across the country are taking steps each day to improve safety for students, faculty, staff, and visitors on their campuses. Text alerts, lockdown drills and emergency response teams all play an important role in creating a safe and secure environment for each person on campus. Video surveillance also plays an integral role in campus security. In a survey done by the magazine Campus Safety, 28 percent of campuses report they highlight security systems in their marketing materials, which shows just how important this service is not only in creating a secure environment but in improving perception of the college to prospective students.
There are three major benefits to using video surveillance systems on a college campus:
1) The presence of the cameras and knowledge that someone is watching promotes safety.
2) Vigilant monitoring allows some crimes to be prevented.
3) When something does happen, the video footage can provide evidence for investigations.
When you’re looking for a video surveillance system to improve the safety and security of your college campus, two things are important: clarity of video and system reliability. Call 24 Security Systems of RCS Wireless Technology provides the clarity and reliability you’re looking for in a security system. Our consultants can help design a system that fits your needs, from cameras and viewing software to maintenance packages that help ensure your system is working when you need it most.
Whether you are working at a school, a hospital, or any other organization that serves the public, you know the safety of your employees, students and customers is a top priority. Call today to find out how RCS Wireless Technology can help you provide the best security possible.
Call our service team today to learn more about our products and services at 1-336-788-9191, or toll-free at 1-800-441-9191, or use the button below to send a message to one of our customer service agents.