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A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High near 60F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 56F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Emergency boxes are scattered across Washington & Jefferson College’s campus. Students who feel unsafe may press the button, and campus security will meet that student at the site of the activated emergency box.

Emergency boxes are scattered across Washington & Jefferson College’s campus. Students who feel unsafe may press the button, and campus security will meet that student at the site of the activated emergency box.

News of last week’s mass shooting at Michigan State University that left three students dead and five critically injured reverberated at college campuses across the country, including those in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Parents and students alike wonder what security measures are being taken to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring at local schools.

A survey of colleges and universities in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties found that security officials are vigilant in their efforts to ensure campuses foster a safe environment for students and staff alike.

At Washington & Jefferson College, closed-circuit surveillance cameras are monitored at all times, providing another set of eyes for the regular campus patrols, says Jonathan Rosnick, W&J chief of police. Plus, about a dozen blue-light emergency phones are located throughout campus.

“If our students are somewhere on our campus where they can’t see our public safety office, they should be physically able to see one of our blue-light emergency phones, which are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by a person who is on campus,” he said. “That dispatcher acts as a bridge between the technology and our physical security measures.”

Certified police officers make themselves visible while on patrol at W&J.

“The human element is most important,” Rosnick said. “All of the systems you have in place are only as effective if the people you partner with are willing to work with them. When our officers are out on patrol, they’re building relationships. In the event of an emergency, our student body, our campus community is comfortable calling us to be of assistance.”

Rosnick said W&J police have an average response time to emergency calls of less than a minute. For standard calls, the average response time is less than five minutes.

Ed McSheffery, PennWest California chief of police, said his department has 15 officers and three security guard/dispatchers.

“All of our officers are MPOETC (Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission) certified and complete mandatory in-service training annually,” he said.

Also, there are 45 blue-light emergency phones and about 450 surveillance cameras on the PennWest California campus.

Protocols at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus, like each of Penn State’s 22 campuses, also have regular patrols, numerous avenues for reporting suspicious activities and education programs for students, faculty and staff. Penn State employs a full-service police department with sworn officers who have full law enforcement authority at each campus.

“As a public university, we strive to balance fostering a friendly, open campus environment with maintaining safety and security for all who visit, work, learn and live at Penn State locations,” said Wesley Sheets, Penn State’s interim chief of police and public safety. “The University’s Police and Public Safety unit has resources and processes in place to prepare for, investigate and respond to a variety of situations on the Fayette campus.”

Penn State also established the Behavioral Threat Management Team to enhance emergency preparedness and prevention efforts years ago. This team systematically identifies, evaluates and manages potentially threatening situations, such as individuals who may have exhibited concerning behavior.

Campuses are equipped with alarm systems, emergency phones and 24/7 surveillance cameras at many locations, which can be “live-viewed” during campus events.

“During major events or gatherings, campus police proactively scale security measures to increase police presence and may bring in law enforcement agencies for additional support if needed,” Sheets said.

James Tanda, director of security operations and emergency management at Waynesburg University, said the campus is in the midst of replacing all of the locks and updating them to digital locks with radio frequency access.

“That makes buildings safer, that makes students safer,” Tanda said, who’s also a criminal justice instructor at Waynesburg. “We’ve also improved the lighting across the campus and we’ve improved our cameras and surveillance.”

The retired federal agent from the U.S. Department of Justice said much attention also was given to Waynesburg’s public safety office.

“We are hiring top-notch former state troopers, police chiefs, those with certifications in private security,” Tanda said. “Our public safety office has been improved over the last five years to where it provides safety for our students, our staff and our faculty 24 hours a day on campus.”

Also, students can be helpful in matters of security. Steps such as being situationally aware, trusting one’s instincts and locking doors and windows go a long way toward preventing possible criminal situations.

“We urge students and staff to practice practical safety and security guidance on-campus and in the local community,” McSheffery said.

“We encourage them to look out for each other,” added Eva Chatterjee-Sutton, vice president of student life and dean of students at W&J. “It may not be just the student who feels they’re in danger; it could be someone who is witnessing something that may seem off. They’re encouraged to call and ask for help.”

Working together can go a long way to bolstering security.

“Safety is everybody’s responsibility,” Rosnick said. “I think of our public safety staff as the campus champions of safety, but not the folks who are solely responsible for it. We all work together.”

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