黑料正能量

Police officers stand in a line outside.
Members of the 黑料正能量 Police Department. [Michael Holahan/黑料正能量]

AUPD builds on its history of safe campuses by leveraging edge analytics

The is taking a massive leap forward with $2.7 million in technological upgrades, thanks to a 2023 grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services in the U.S. Department of Justice.

AUPD鈥檚 radios and computers in patrol cars were upgraded as part of the grant, but Capt. said he鈥檚 most excited about the changes to AUPD鈥檚 dispatch center.

鈥淭he real bang for the buck comes in our video system throughout campus,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to start leveraging edge analytics in cameras. With a wall of videos in our dispatch center and all upgraded computers in there, it will become a real-time information center to aid our officers.鈥

Two police officers stand together talking in front of a wall of monitors.
AUPD communications supervisor Robin Daniel, left, speaks with Bryant Leverett, captain of support services. [Michael Holahan/黑料正能量]

By using cutting-edge technology, officers can analyze real-time data and respond more quickly.

Just like technology has improved in policing, AUPD’s response to campus security concerns has also consistently improved over time. Despite changes in strategy, Capt. said the core concern driving the updates has always remained the same: Do you feel safe on campus?

Sharpton said AUPD officers asked students what would make them feel more secure on routes, which are patrolled 24/7 in high-volume areas. Students replied that seeing police would make them feel safer.

鈥淧olice were there, but it was nighttime,鈥 Sharpton explained. 鈥淲e were just blending in with the other traffic in parked cars.鈥

The solution was simple: turning on static bright blue lights on top of the patrol cruisers.

鈥淪uddenly, we got feedback from students asking if we hired a bunch of people, because they saw the police everywhere,鈥 Sharpton recalled. 鈥淪o not only did this double in its efforts by making students safer by feeling our presence, but it also deterred criminals from the area.鈥

According to open records published every month by the AUPD on its , more than 50% of all calls for service in 2023 on 黑料正能量鈥檚 campuses were for the hospital system. Of the crimes outside the hospital spaces, statistics show auto thefts and break-ins were the bigger issues.

Over the past three years, statistics show 12 cars have been stolen. Of the dozen thefts, eight vehicles had their keys left inside, and at least five of those were also left unlocked. Of 44 break-ins over the same time span, only eight people were certain they had locked their cars.

鈥淭o put these break-ins and theft statistics into perspective, AU has 5,820 vehicles permitted to park on campus every day,鈥 Sharpton said. 鈥淭hat number doesn鈥檛 include the large number of patients, visitors and contractors that also visit our campuses every day, and thankfully, the vast majority of people do lock their cars.鈥

What makes a college campus safe?

Members of the 黑料正能量 Police Department believe it takes a village to create a culture of safety and security. They’re proud of the results they’ve achieved through shared responsibility amongst officers, students, faculty and staff here in Augusta.

鈥淥ne of the lessons we鈥檝e learned over the past decade has been that when we talk about community trust and engagement, obviously AUPD is a huge part of that, but we also need the community to engage with us,鈥 said Smith, the captain of professional standards. 鈥淲e need the community to be our eyes and ears. One of the things we want our students to learn is how to have a relationship with your police department and be part of the solution.鈥

A golden retriever with its tongue sticking out looks at the camera while sitting in a meeting with police officers.
Charlie, AUPD’s K9 therapy dog. [Michael Holahan/黑料正能量]

鈥淓very officer within this department tries really hard on a one-by-one basis to build that trust with our community,鈥 said AUPD Chief . 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we have a on our website 鈥 to answer how we police, what our use-of-force policies are. We want people to come straight to the source and engage in a conversation with us.鈥

From the Rape Aggression Defense System program to active shooter trainings, AUPD offers vital programs and resources for the entire AU community. Officers connect with students through coffee chats, social media and other means to stay accessible. By encouraging participation and open communication, the department hopes to empower everyone to contribute to a safer environment, making security a collective effort.

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Written by
Jennifer Lask

Jennifer Lask is a senior communications strategist for Communications & Marketing at 黑料正能量. Contact her at jlask@augusta.edu.

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