Most UA students and staff feel safe on campus

Patterson was hired in April 2023 and has started work immediately, trying to figure out what needs need to be met to make people feel safe and cared for on campus, especially after several stalking and groping incidents that occurred near the school last month and the 2022 death of faculty member Thomas Meixner, who was gunned down by a former student.

To reduce the risk of such incidents, the UA Office of Public Safety (established in 2023) launched the first campus-wide safety survey this spring to determine student, staff and faculty concerns about a variety of public safety issues. Patterson said those responses will guide the office's work to improve campus safety.

The survey asked questions about public safety and emergency communications processes and asked for suggestions for future safety initiatives.

The survey was sent to all faculty, staff and students, and 3,076 people responded, less than 5% of the campus population. The information will serve as the basis for future surveys and help identify trends and improvements, Patterson said.

According to the survey, 59% of respondents feel safe on campus. However, those who did not feel safe cited parking garages, buildings with wide public access, and busy streets on the edge of campus as places where they feel unsafe.

This data collection will be used to consider physical security improvements in the areas of greatest concern to students and staff.

Respondents said that restricted access to buildings and surveillance cameras would lead to improvements that would make them feel safer.

A majority of survey respondents said they would like to see more attention given to sexual assault education (72%) and mental health on campus (82%). Some of these initiatives are already in the works, Patterson said.

This spring, the Office of Safety hosted the first-ever Wildcats Roar Against Sexual Violence 5K Run and Resource Fair to raise awareness and funds for campus support services.

When it comes to guns on campus, there are differences between students and their older peers. The survey shows that 81% of faculty and 79% of staff said they would notify campus police if they saw someone with a gun on campus. At the same time, 59% of students say they would notify police if they saw someone with a gun on campus.

In addition, graduate students and undergraduates are less likely to contact UA police when they witness threatening behavior.

In addition to the survey, Patterson commissioned an outside security group to conduct an independent review of campus safety. The review identified 33 areas for improvement. Addressing these areas began immediately, and the Office of Public Safety was born.

Patterson said that over the past two years, the Safety Office has “remained consistently focused on maintaining a safe and inclusive campus environment while upholding our office's core values ​​of promoting safety, facilitating learning, empowering through education, raising awareness, listening and responding, and increasing transparency.”

Patterson said he is committed to improving safety on campus by talking to the people who are there.

This spring, Patterson invited students and staff to join him on “Safety Walks with Steve,” where he explored campus with students to learn about their experiences, identify where they may not feel safe, and find solutions.

Through these walks, the investigation, and his decades of experience with the FBI, Patterson has extensive knowledge of what it takes to do his job and ensure that a large college campus is as safe as the small towns from which some of these young students come.

Next year's survey will show him whether it worked.

“The insights we have gained have been and will continue to be invaluable in guiding our efforts,” Patterson said.