YourLocalSecurity Graph of Top Schools by State
By Sebastian Ross
New report out by security company ADT announced College of Southern Nevada as safest college campus in the State.
According to an April 4 press release from YourLocalSecurity, an ADT affiliate, its “Safest College Campus by State” report listed CSN as highest scored in Nevada after analysis of data and statistics on low crime rates and programs designed to provide on-campus protection.
“Personal safety is a major concern for many prospective students when considering where to attend college,” wrote Greg Jensen, safety director for YourLocalSecurity in the press release. “That’s why we wanted to provide the first comprehensive list ranking colleges by state and not just on a national level.”
CSN has more than 34,000 students and several campuses located across the Valley. Even as large as it is, “The College of Southern Nevada does an amazing job of protecting its students from violence and property crime,” according to the report.
Runners up included University of Nevada, Reno and Western Nevada College in Carson City.
CSN’s Chief of Police Darryl Caraballo commented on some of the measures the school takes to ensure safety. “Improving and leveraging new technologies such as digital CCTV cameras inside the campus buildings and outside in the campus parking lots, and body cameras for the police officers to ensure we are as transparent as possible with how the officers are carrying out their duties every day. Also by promoting our campus safety app to ensure our college community has quick access to vital information and the ability to contact our department in the event of an emergency or non-emergency.”
Caraballo mentioned the importance of a community effort in policing.
”Communication is vital between the police and the community we serve,” Caraballo said. “They are our eyes and ears in places we are not. We are highly visible and easily identifiable so many things are deterred by our presence but not everything. Crime happens when we are not around but our public is and this is where that critical information they have of something they observed becomes so important to us. We encourage our college community to come forward and always ‘see something, say something’ when they hear about or observe any crime.”
According to the recent 2015 crime statistics of CSN’s three major campuses, there were 27 total crimes. The information was noted in the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act report. Of those 27 crimes noted, the largest number of arrests were for drug violations. Overall the safety level is high.
“Unfortunately there will always be some level of crime taking place in our society,” Caraballo said. “It is truly a team effort between our police department, the institution’s executive team and all the students staff, faculty and visitors to work together to ensure we are all doing the very best job possible.”
CSN public safety professor Robert Aberle said, “Campus police, they’re here every day. Their jurisdiction is much smaller and they know intimately the problems, the people, the campuses, which is a good thing. We have a system of emergency phones throughout all of our parking areas and a very rapid response when security or police are summoned anywhere on campus. Our campus police have implemented some very positive and effective security procedures campus wide. All in all, I really do not have any concerns.”
CSN student Shauna Thomas shared her feelings about police on campus. “They’re doing a pretty adequate job. I’ve taken a night class here and I have had to walk from the N building [Charleston campus] to the bus stop and it has been safe for me. They have been there to ask if I need anything, or when it is dark I see them around. They’re everywhere.”
Librarian aide Lorraine Rosales said, “I don’t have any issues or worries with the safety. I think the school police and security do a great job.”
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 