PASADENA, Calif.--Since the tragic slaying of 32 students and staff on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007, colleges and academic institutions across the nation have been fortifying their security plans and procedures, implementing comprehensive security systems that can immediately notify an entire campus community of a crisis and deploy alerts to take cover, evacuate, or shelter-in-place.
In a recent safety preparedness survey conducted by Reader's Digest called "Safe at School?", the California Institute of Technology received an A rating, ranking 13th out of 135 schools across the country.
The "Safe at School?" special report examines potential safety threats at American colleges and describes some of the best safety practices employed by certain schools. Each of the 135 schools evaluated was given a grade of A, B, or C, based on their readiness to handle on-campus threats to safety and security.
According to crime data filed with the federal Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. colleges and universities report some 40,000 burglaries, 3,700 forcible sex offenses, 7,000 aggravated assaults, and 48 murders a year--much of it triggered by alcohol abuse. In addition to the threat of crime, campus housing fires have nearly doubled since 1998; suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among students, after accidents; and alcohol contributes to an estimated 1,700 student deaths and nearly 600,000 injuries a year. "Safe at School?" also reveals critical insights for parents, including the following: o Almost 80 percent of campus crime is student-against-student, and alcohol is a factor in 95 percent of violent crime on campus. o The rate of depression among college students seeking mental-health services more than doubled between 1989 and 2001. o According to safety experts, the first six weeks of college are the most dangerous period of a student's campus life, when freshmen are most vulnerable to alcohol abuse, hazing, and crimes like acquaintance rape.
The "Safe at School?" report highlights many of the innovative and effective tools campuses are using to make themselves more secure.
Caltech chief of security Gregg Henderson says, "The unfortunate events that took place on the Virginia Tech campus served to illuminate the need for comprehensive security procedures on campuses. Even before these events occurred, Caltech placed paramount importance on crisis management, emergency planning, and security procedures to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. For over a year we have implemented a campuswide emergency communications system, Connect-Ed, and we have partnered with other emergency coordinators throughout the city. We proactively monitor potential threats to the campus and allocate resources accordingly to mitigate those trends.
"And for many years, Caltech has had support systems in place for students, including drug and alcohol education and counseling services. Caltech has a relatively low crime rate, and we are pleased that we received an A ranking in this survey. We will continue to be committed to maintaining a vigilant security operation on our campus."
The "Safe at School?" survey will appear in the March issue of Reader's Digest and will be available on newsstands on February 19. For more information on the campus safety preparedness survey and special report, go to http://www.rd.com.
