Campus safety officials and ASUU Student Body President Alex Rose addressed the state of campus security. They outlined how they prepare and maintain safety resources and how student feedback is shaping ongoing collaboration between campus security and the student government.
Rose told The Chronicle that from a student perspective, campus safety at the U is generally effective. However, students often express frustration with communication about incidents. “Overall, I think campus safety is good,” Rose said. “But where I hear the most concern from students is communication, how fast information is shared and how clearly situations are explained.”
Student concerns focus on alerts and response time
Students are more concerned with how quickly and accurately information is released than with campus police response, according to Rose. He pointed to incidents earlier this academic year where initial reports confused students, and communication delays or unclear messaging heightened anxiety across campus. Rose said students want clearer updates that distinguish between confirmed threats and situations under assessment.
Kahlert Village resident Mary Olson, who was present during the Kahlert Village swatting incident, said the absence of an official alert made the situation feel more severe than it was. “I wish we had known more about what was actually happening,” Olson said. “What we heard around and saw on social media made the situation worse than it was. If campus security had alerted us, there would’ve been less chaos.”
Rose said ASUU regularly meets with the Department of Public Safety and U administrators to share student feedback and relay information back to students. He described ASUU’s role as a bridge between students and campus safety officials, particularly when changes to alert systems or policies are being discussed. “Response time and communication are still the biggest things students bring up,” Rose said. “Students want to know what’s happening and feel confident that the information they’re getting is accurate.”
Campus safety at the U
Major Heather Sturzenegger, executive officer with Campus Police, said the most commonly reported crimes at the U are property-related. “The highest reported crime really that we have on campus is property crime, theft of laptops and theft of bikes,” she said.
Sturzenegger said no specific campus areas are considered high-risk. Campus police do track crime patterns and deploy patrols in areas where incidents are more likely to occur. About half of campus police call volume comes from the University Hospital area, according to Sturzenegger. Emergency resources like blue light phones are maintained through quarterly inspections conducted by the DPS. The phones connect directly to campus dispatch, and any malfunctioning phones are reported to Facilities for repair. Sturzenegger said most uses of the phones occur during routine testing rather than emergencies, citing the widespread availability of cellphones.
For non-emergency concerns, students can call the university’s non-emergency line at 801-585-COPS. Campus dispatch can also be reached through the Utah 360 and SafeU apps.
New framework for prevention and preparedness
Earlier this month, the U publicly announced the development of a new public safety framework designed to prepare the campus for a range of potential incidents, including active threats. Rebecca Titze, special assistant to the Chief Safety Office, said the framework is grounded in five core pillars: protection, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. She said the goal is to prevent violence before it occurs and ensure that the campus community is prepared to respond if an incident does happen.
As part of the framework, the U has launched new active threat training, including a 10-minute video available to students, faculty and staff. The university plans to formally integrate the 10-minute active threat training into student Community Standards courses beginning with Fall 2026, at which point the training will be mandatory for faculty and staff. A longer, optional training is also available for those seeking more in-depth preparation.
Titze said the training focuses on practical decision-making and the emotional responses individuals may experience during a critical incident. The training also includes updated communication protocols. The framework includes 20 action areas and is expected to roll out in phases over several years. University officials said elements of the framework may eventually be shared with other institutions across the state.
New tools in campus safety initiatives
There are expanded data tools for improved transparency surrounding campus safety in addition to the new framework. Nicole Mitchell, senior crime and intelligence analyst for the U’s DPS, said the department has an online crime dashboard, which is updated daily.
Mitchell said the department has also launched community crime maps, a newer tool designed to provide more detailed and current information. “That data is uploaded and refreshed three times a day,” Mitchell said. The maps allow users to view crime trends and identify hotspots through filters.
The community crime maps separate bike-related thefts into their own category. “One of our biggest crimes on campus for property crimes is bike thefts,” Mitchell said. “So we actually put that in its own category on the community crime maps.”
Leadership, funding and collaboration
Campus safety initiatives are prioritized through an annual budgeting process involving university leadership, according to Titze. She added that the university’s Chief Safety Officer now sits on the President’s cabinet, a change officials say elevates safety concerns in institutional decision-making.
Titze also emphasized ongoing coordination with Salt Lake City Police. Particularly, in areas near campus boundaries like Greek Row, which falls under city jurisdiction.
ASUU will continue working with campus safety officials to advocate for clearer communication and to ensure student concerns are shared. “A big part of our role is making sure student voices are heard,” Rose said. “Students should feel comfortable speaking up about safety concerns and know that their feedback matters.”
Editor’s note, February 2, 11:29 p.m. • This article has been updated to clarify information about the university’s active threat training requirements.
