Alabama is home to 15 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and Alabama State University has managed to score one of the highest campus security ratings among them.
“I receive a rating review each year from campus security,” said Kelvin Kendrick, director of Public Safety.
According to Kendrick, he is also kept updated with campus security ratings via Niche, a website that provides information on schools K-12, colleges and companies across the country. On Niche, the university has a B rating when it comes to campus security.
“I’m never gonna be satisfied,” Kendrick said, regarding the rating. “I want an “A.” We have a “B” rating, but a lot of factors go into that. It also factors the crime rate your campus is surrounded by. We can’t control what goes on outside of the campus, we can only control what we have going on inside our campus.”
Kendrick is still happy with the “B” rating as he believes that campus police can do better.
Since his time as the director Kendrick has taken some measures to maximize the safety levels on campus such as the installation of an app called LiveSafe. With it, students can contact campus police wherever they are if they are in trouble or feel threatened. Kendrick has also invested in new security equipment such as automated license plate readers (ALPRs).
“Anytime you’re on this campus, it’s being recorded,” Kendrick said.
Kendrick believes that anytime you deal with the general public, there are always going to be issues in terms of safety.
“We can put out all of the information to our campus community, but not everyone sees that information,” Kendrick said. “We got a lot of people coming in from the general public onto our campus, and as you know, that can bring in anyone on your campus, and anything can happen at any given time. And when you go into the “B” rating, that doesn’t mean that a crime can’t occur on your campus.”
For students who want to feel and be safer on campus, Kendrick recommends that they use a buddy system and the LiveSafe app.
“It’s not like Life360, where we monitor every student. If you use the app, you can have your parents track you. They don’t even have to have the app, we don’t even have to know anything about it unless you reach out to us and ask for us to monitor you if you’re going on a walk or if you’re going to an area you’re unfamiliar with.”
Despite the high rating, junior Zhaniyah Rudolph has concerns regarding campus safety.
“I’ve definitely seen an improvement but not when it comes to locals getting on campus easier than they should be able to,” Rudolph said. “One thing that I have seen a problem with, in regards to safety, is propping the doors open in the dorms. I think that’s a huge safety issue because it’s letting any type of person enter the dorms, and it shouldn’t be like that.”
Freshman Gabrielle Garrison learned of the LiveSafe app during orientation despite never using it, she thinks that campus is pretty safe.
“I feel like the campus police does their job,” Garrison said. “Definitely don’t walk around alone, and if you ever do need help, you can use the LiveSafe app. I’ve never had to use it, but if I had to use it, I would.”
Junior Jhamal Kelly thinks that campus security is in need of an improvement as he had not seen campus police around campus a lot.
“Police are sending their kids here thinking they’re gonna be safe, and when something goes down, campus police are nowhere to be found or they’re asleep on the job,” Kelly said.
Kelly has noticed that a lot of doors around campus are broken such as in the student center.
“Let’s say that they try to break into Chick-Fil-A down there, the door is broken, and Chick-Fil-A is out of business, and they have to wait to repair that.”
Kelly recommends that if a student waits to stay safe on campus, they should rely on self defense.
“Rely on yourself,” Kelly said. “Don’t put too much trust in others to defend yourself when you’re capable of doing that yourself.”
Chelsye Nichols is satisfied with the B rating and with campus security as a whole despite believing it can be a little better. On the contrary to Kelly, Nichols feels like not seeing campus security is a good thing because it means that nothing too dangerous is going on around her.
“I feel like it’s a pretty safe campus for the most part, so having a B rating is good,” Nichols said.
She continued.
“Stay in a well lit area if you can. Walk with someone, and if you can’t walk with someone, call someone so they know where you are and what you are doing.”