New fire alarm systems, lighting upgrades and more are expected to take place in 2024 according to the safety report released by the University Police Department (UPD).
In December, UPD Chief of Police John Brockie sent students the 2024 safety report in compliance with the California Code of Education, which requires colleges to compile reports regarding campus safety.
According to Brockie, the report is a collaborative effort from the university police department and other campus organizations that identify necessary changes.
“We look at programs that we feel are successful and necessary,” Brockie said. “Other changes listed in the report come from other campus entities like Beach Building Services, such as the fire system and lighting updates.”
The four-page safety report highlights both the actions taken in the past year to improve safety and what’s in store for the new year. The most recent report highlights six upgrades for safety identified by the university.
The UPD’s goals for 2024 include the continuation of the Community Service Officer program that provides safety escorts to students and continuing to host self-defense classes, known as the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) program.
Also set to occur in 2024 are upgrades to the fire alarm systems in Parkside and Beachside housing as well as in the Bickerstaff Academic Center (BAC) building.
“There are three different fire alarm systems within the different housing buildings,” Brockie said. “The goal is to bring them all on the most modern system so we have one system instead of three.”
Lighting improvement is expected to begin in 2024, improving the lighting along the Parkside housing pathways. According to Brockie, the UPD does a night walk with Associated Students Inc. each year to monitor the lighting and visibility on campus, noting changes that need to be made.
The last item on the report lists renovations to the front desk area of Parkside Service Center to improve visibility.
According to Brockie, many of the listed upgrades to safety are reliant on funding from the university, which can be subject to change.
While the university plans to implement these items to campus safety, Brockie emphasized the importance of student involvement in reporting suspicious activity and safety concerns.
“A big part of safety is everyone’s participation,” Brockie said. “We have 20,000 people. Those are 20,000 sets of eyes as opposed to the few officers I have on patrol. We need that partnership.”
To read more about the 2024 safety report, click here.