Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Body Cameras on Campus

  • 07/01/18

An increasing number of colleges and universities are outfitting their sworn officers with wearable, or body, cameras. Body cameras worn by law enforcement officers have become an industry standard in many agencies.

As of April 2017, police officers with The University of Texas at Austin are equipped with portable video cameras worn on the front of their uniforms. The cameras will be worn by officers for a variety of reasons, but most importantly in order to continue to build trust with those they serve and reassure the public that this is yet another step toward achieving mutual safety.

At Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem NC, all security officers and police officers are issued wearable cameras as part of their standard issued equipment.

Northwestern Police at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, began exploring the use of body-worn cameras in April 2016, working in collaboration with key stakeholders across the university to ensure a thoughtful approach. In June 2017, the university began a 30-day pilot phase with five Northwestern police officers. The feedback provided from both the officers and the campus community members shaped implementation. Northwestern went live with body-worn cameras for all sworn personnel on February 1, 2018.

In June 2017, East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, purchased 70 body cameras for campus officers with the intent to have them in use before the end of the year.

There are many more across the country. It is important to remember, however, that just purchasing the cameras and assigning them to officers is only a small part of their use. Policies and procedures should be established to determine how and when the cameras are used as well as who has access to the resulting recordings and now long those recordings are retained, among other considerations.

The University of North Florida Police Department has online a detailed Written Directives Manual on the subject of body-worn cameras for its Jacksonville campus. It can be reviewed here: https://goo.gl/APB4ce.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management July/August 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Georgia State University Opens New Research Tower

    Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, nine-story, 155,000-square-foot Research Tower, according to university news. Amenities include academic classrooms, a large lecture space, teaching labs, faculty research space, and the uppermost floors reserved for future expansion.