The following message is an update on the work of the Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being from its co-chairs:
The safety and well-being of our campus and neighboring communities is our top priority, and we are currently implementing a series of recommendations that were made as part of our recent Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being. Since the creation of the task force in the fall, immediate efforts have included:
- Increased patrols in the off-campus areas that our students live in, using a combination of University Police and the Columbus Division of Police officers, as well as members of Community Crime Patrol. These added police patrols will continue through the end of Spring semester, and we will continue to evaluate security needs.
- Ohio State extended the hours and promotion of the Lyft Ride Smart program to provide students with additional, low-cost access to late night transportation.
- Immediate lighting repairs along with a lighting survey for longer-term enhancements.
- Expanded surveillance in the off-campus neighborhoods with installation of two additional cameras.
- The university developed an ongoing plan to consistently promote safety tools and resources.
The university has shared a safety survey with a sample of more than 14,000 students, which is part of the continuing effort to implement task force recommendations. The goal of the survey is to gauge the overall perception of safety both on and off campus as well as awareness of Ohio State’s resources and programs. Longer-term recommendations also include expanded surveillance coverage off-campus and increasing the staffing of OSUPD to allow 24/7 coverage of the University District by a joint patrol which would include an OSUPD officer and CPD officer working together.
The safety of all Buckeyes remains our top priority. To see the full list of Task Force recommendations, please visit our website.
Jay Kasey
Senior Vice President
Office of Administration and Planning
Melissa Shivers
Senior Vice President
Office of Student Life