When a campus has their annual security assessment or audient, the chances are high that they’re like to find some sort of vulnerabilities. Campuses, whether in San Francisco, CA or elsewhere in the country, are simply complex to completely secure. Assessments and audits for security purposes should be done regularly, and the results of these tests should be shared with all relevant personnel as quickly as possible. The faster these issues are addressed, the faster the campus can be amply secured.

The Complex Challenges Of Campus Security

College campuses are places that should feel safe for students, so they can focus on their education without worry of security threats. The issue with college campuses is that they’re often large and sprawling, they are made up of a variety of buildings, and they house thousands of students, while being visited by speakers, staff, parents, friends, and more. With such a complex setup, one can expect complex security challenges.

Some of the challenges facing college security today are:

• The impossibility of size – College campuses are large, and this rings true even for smaller private schools or community colleges within the entire San Francisco area. With an area of such size, it may seem impossible to optimally cover security for the entire expanse of the grounds. However, with multiple layers of enterprise level security, it can be done, and an assessment will address what layers are up to par as well as which will still require some work.
• Variations in building design – College campuses are made up of multiple buildings, from large dorm room buildings to smaller cafeteria halls and classrooms. This presents a unique challenge – a college will want to secure their large spaces just as thoroughly as their smaller spaces, even though both will require their own specific security solutions. For this reason, an integrated multi-layered system is crucial. Only with a multi-layered system will college campus security teams be able to ensure all spaces are secured thoroughly and equally.
• Security guards can’t be everywhere at once – Security guards patrolling the grounds in marked vehicles or golf carts is a security layer that most colleges use with great success. However, security guards can’t be everywhere, and even a fully staffed security team will leave blind spots throughout a day or night. Layering security guards with surveillance cameras, for instance, allows the eyes of security to be everywhere all at once.

Safer Colleges For Better Success

A safe college is a college where students can focus on their studies and enjoying their college experience. With multi-layered and fully integrated security systems for campuses, San Francisco campuses create an environment that is ideal for providing just that. While there may be complex challenges involved with securing an entire college campus, a professional assessment and multi-layered security system tackles each of these challenges one by one. Assessments aren’t one and done, and should be re-conducted each year to ensure security measures are always ensuring the safest possible schools for today’s young people.