Campus Security Systems for Universities | Types, Measures & Safety

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Security is an important issue for higher education facilities such as universities that face extreme pressure in providing a safe space for their students and teachers.

Universities are generally huge and sprawled out over a large area, with the UK housing some of the best and biggest university campuses in the world.

Due to their sheer size and the flow of people within the university campus, it becomes extra challenging to minimise security threats and offer a healthy learning environment for adolescents to turn into responsible adults.

Students and staff members must feel that they are safe and protected within the university and their sole purpose must be that of self-growth.

Comprehensive security systems play a key role in making universities a safe space and allowing the management to control and monitor day-to-day activities around the campus.

Read on to find out about the best campus security systems for universities and how they can help mitigate safety and security risks:

IMPORTANCE OF CAMPUS SECURITY SYSTEMS FOR UNIVERSITIES

Protecting the students, faculty members, and residents must be a top priority for universities along with providing a great quality of education.

With security threats on the rise, campus security systems have become more important now than ever. Here are the top reasons why universities must invest in effective campus security systems:

Peace of mind

For most students, going to university is a transitionary period where they get a chance to move out of their parent’s house and live life independently.

As much as it is exciting, it can also be a daunting experience for both the parents and students since it is usually their first time living far away from home.

Campus security is a major issue and must be put in place to proactively prevent security threats and ensure parents that their children are safe, and the students that they have nothing to worry about.

If a university has a good campus security system in place, more parents are likely to trust the institute which will automatically help in building the university’s image.

Helps prevent violence and crime

Universities are commonly targeted for crimes such as theft, vandalism, trespassing, graffiti, malicious damage, arson, protests, loitering, drug dealing, sexual harassment, terrorism, possession of offensive weapons, and threats from former students.

With the proper security systems in place, university management can prevent all kinds of crime and violence on campus that some students, unfortunately, may fall victim to.

Most of these crimes and acts of violence happen late at night when the perpetrators know that no one is watching and they won’t get caught.

Security guards can prevent such incidents from taking place and respond to and stop the act as it is happening, and while they are a great way to tackle the issue, there are certain pitfalls to relying on them for security such as being alert at all times and hiring enough security personnel to be present all around the campus which can be kind of expensive to manage.

For this reason, universities must invest in modern security systems that bypass all human errors and offer a much reliable form of security around the campus.

Guaranteed response

Sometimes, all it takes to avert any unfortunate incident is to respond to it at the right time and take the appropriate action.

For instance, in situations such as a fire on campus, every second counts and may be the difference between life and death.

Similarly, during a violent attack on campus, the university management needs to be on top of things and have all the required information such as where the incident happened and who is responsible in order to respond to it right away.

Security systems can also be used to dispatch emergency services such as fire and rescue services, the police, or the hospital if necessary.

BEST SECURITY SYSTEMS FOR UNIVERSITIES

There are several security measures that you can deploy to make universities a safe space for all those involved, some of which include:

Installing CCTV cameras,
Using access control systems,
Installing intruder alarms, and
Having an effective fire detection and alarm system in place.

CCTV CAMERAS FOR UNIVERSITIES

Well-designed CCTV cameras are one of the most effective security measures that are proven to deter crime and help create a safe and healthy environment for all those on campus.

What makes them so great at deterring crime and antisocial behaviour on campus is their ability to constantly monitor and record events all around them.

It becomes next to impossible to hide a crime committed in front of a CCTV camera which makes it easier to identify and catch the perpetrators.

This useful feature of constant surveillance and monitoring scares away potential criminals and offenders for the fear of getting recorded, identified, and caught.

CCTV cameras aren’t just useful in deterring crime but are also a great tool used for evidence gathering in the case of a crime being committed.

The recorded footage can be used to identify the perpetrators and help resolve incidents, especially in situations where it is a case of one person’s word against the other.

It can also be of immense help to vulnerable students who are victims of bullying and abuse and who, out of fear, remain quiet and do not call out their bullies.

CCTV cameras are feature-rich security systems that can be made even more efficient using features such as night vision, HD resolution, a wide and flexible field of view, remote monitoring, motion sensors, notification alerts, and good storage options.

Remote real-time monitoring allows university management and security personnel to view all activities happening around the campus as they are happening.

They can receive instant alerts from the system in case of any suspicious activity being detected and can respond to incidents by taking the necessary action.

For added security, universities may also opt for professional CCTV monitoring where the campus is watched over by trained monitoring staff to respond to alerts as soon as they receive them and contact the relevant individuals and authorities after gauging the validity and severity of the incident.

While CCTV cameras provide a wide range of benefits as security systems for various applications in the community, they do pose somewhat of a privacy issue and have always been surrounded by scepticism the world over.

While many agree that CCTV cameras and surveillance systems are a powerful deterrent against crime and other offences, some voice their concerns over how they can make students, teachers, residents, and visitors feel like they are being watched at all times.

In addition to that, the inability of the university management and security personnel to keep the recorded footage safe and away from the wrong hands may pose an even bigger privacy concern for those being monitored.

What can be done to ensure that CCTV cameras aren’t misused and used only for their intended purpose, i.e., security? How can the students, teachers, and all those being monitored be convinced that their data will always be kept safe and deleted after a certain time?

All businesses, including educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities, are required by law to follow certain rules and legal requirements for the use of CCTV cameras and surveillance systems.

These laws ensure that the CCTV systems are used only when and if their use is justified and that the data is stored securely and can only be accessed by authorised personnel.

The CCTV operators are required to inform everyone on campus that they are being monitored, which can best be achieved by putting up clear signs in the areas under surveillance and steering clear of private places such as toilets and changing rooms.

ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR UNIVERSITIES

Access control is what lets authorised individuals inside the university and what keeps unauthorised individuals out. It is one of the most essential parts of campus security and must be implemented in all educational institutions throughout the country.

Universities are usually sprawled across a huge area with multiple entrances into the campus. This poses a security challenge and makes it difficult to manage access, especially using traditional doors and locks.

The answers to all your access control issues lie in four simple words: automated door entry systems.

What are automated door entry systems? They are used to regulate access inside a property or a certain area within it and are a great alternative to using traditional locks and keys.

They use various types of authentication methods such as access codes, access cards, key fobs, biometrics, and smartphones, and support all electronic gates, doors, turnstiles, and barriers around the campus.

They help the university management keep a better check on who enters the campus and when, along with ensuring that no unauthorised individuals are allowed to enter.

Access control systems work by first identifying the credentials presented to the system and then authenticating them by checking the access permissions saved in the system’s database.

Once the credentials have been authenticated, the system authorises the user to enter if the credentials match and they have access privileges. Otherwise, the doors remain locked. Both the access rejections and acceptances are logged into the system.

Access control systems are a great option for areas that receive a heavy amount of foot traffic throughout the day, such as university campuses, and make the process of managing it much easier.

In addition to being used to control access through the main doors, classrooms, and offices, door entry systems can also be used as a great attendance management tool for students and teachers, along with a great visitor management system for those requiring temporary access.

Since the systems log every single detail such as who entered a particular door and when, they increase accountability and help track the access activities of all those present on campus, which can be particularly useful in the event of an incident such as a burglary or theft.

INTRUDER ALARMS FOR UNIVERSITIES

One of the biggest challenges of campus security is to make sure that the university remains safe while out of hours and during the holidays.

Universities are filled with expensive equipment such as computers, projectors, furniture, vehicles, and so much more, all of which are extremely lucrative for thieves looking for an opportunity to get their hands on valuables that they can easily sell off for some quick money.

Most incidents of theft are committed during the night or when the campus is empty since, due to the absence of people around to notice their suspicious behaviour, they can easily get away with it without getting caught.

Empty university campuses at night are also likely to be common hangout spots for gangs, disgruntled teenagers, drug dealers, and vandals.

Such antisocial behaviours don’t just make the university campus an unsafe place for students, teachers, and residents, but also tarnishes its image.

What can be done to prevent universities from being broken into, especially when they are considered vulnerable targets, and to keep trouble makers away?

Installing intruder alarms around the property help detect any suspicious activity such as break-ins and the presence of people in a certain area on campus using different types of sensors.

Some of the most commonly used sensors used in intruder alarms include door and window sensors, vibration detectors, passive infrared (PIR) detectors, and several others to detect different types of intrusions. You may choose the best one according to your requirement and the type of detection you would like to be alerted for.

You may opt for a basic intruder alarm that sounds an alarm, often accompanied by flashing lights, to alert the people nearby of an intrusion.

If you wish to always be alerted of even the slightest discrepancy, you may opt for monitored alarm systems that also inform the concerned individuals and law enforcement agencies whenever an intrusion is detected.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS FOR UNIVERSITIES

Most universities are built to cater to a wide range of students and may comprise some or all of the following: lecture halls, laboratories, sports facilities, kitchens, and halls of residence.

Each area poses a certain type of fire risk, especially the laboratories that house highly flammable chemicals and the kitchen and student halls that allow students to cook and work with fire.

Considering the danger involved and the many lives at risk, it is best to opt for an effective fire detection and alarm system that covers the entire university and detects the earliest signs of a fire to minimise damage and casualties.

An effective and well-maintained fire alarm system not only keeps the property and people on campus safe from fires but is also a legal requirement. Every university needs to have a proper fire alarm system that complies with all the required standards.

University management is required to appoint a fire warden or fire security officer to take responsibility for fire safety on campus and undertake a thorough fire risk assessment that includes:

Identifying all the potential hazards and checking all areas on the campus where a potential fire could start.
Identifying the people at risk including all the students, faculty, residents, and visitors. Some may be more susceptible to fires than others due to the nature of their work, such as those working in kitchens or with flammable materials.
Evaluating the extent of the risk and taking preventive measures to reduce them.
Recording all the major findings and coming up with an action plan that must include fire drills and emergency evacuation plans.
Reviewing the findings and updating them as necessary.

The fire warden(s) is also responsible for testing and regularly maintaining the smoke and fire alarms, and also to have them professionally tested by a competent person every few months depending on the size and complexity of the system.

CONTACT CALDER SECURITY

We are professionals working in the security industry for over 40 years and our vast experience enables us to understand the various needs and requirements of different types of properties including universities of all sizes.

We provide a comprehensive security solution that includes not just professional installation of security systems but also their monitoring, maintenance, and repair.

We are SSAIB approved installers and follow all the best practices in the industry. We do not compromise on quality and install only high-quality, state-of-the-art security equipment.

We offer various levels of monitoring via a 24-hour monitoring centre using Dualcom and BT Redcare signalling, which is the most secure alarm monitoring system and the largest supplier of intelligent alarm signalling services in the UK.

We understand the importance of having to regularly maintain security systems since the inability to do so might result in serious faults and consequent vulnerabilities.

We provide professional maintenance checks and reminders for when the checks are due to help you stay compliant with the law and work fast to restore your security systems to excellent condition.

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