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safetyreview@american.edu

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Security Review Working Group

American University is undertaking a review of its approach and infrastructure to ensure campus safety and security. With this review, significant consideration needs to be given to the range of options available to the American University Police Department (AUPD) officers to help strengthen their ability to respond to situations involving firearms. To address this challenging topic, we will solicit and gauge the understandable concerns of the community as well as weigh its potential safety implications.

To help us engage the community in addressing this question in an informed manner, and consider the various options available to us, we have created a Security Review Working Group (SRWG) comprising faculty and staff representatives as well as student participants led by Bronté Burleigh-Jones, CFO, vice president and treasurer, and Phillip Morse, assistant vice president of university police services, emergency management, and transportation programs.

Options for Consideration

  • Maintain the status quo of an unarmed campus police department, equipped with pepper spray and ASP batons.
  • Provide expanded less-than-lethal stand-off capability to address armed threats by persons in possession of weapons not involving firearms.
  • Ability to deploy firearms from police vehicles in threat situations involving weapons.
  •  Arm all officers and supervisors.

Timeline

Estimated timeline for the Security Review Working Group decision process

Feasibility Assessment April 2024

A comprehensive institutional risk management and resource assessment began in April. This includes a review of:

  • Human Capital Management
  • Budget and Resources Impact
  • Institutional Risk and Legal Assessment

Project Website September 2024

This website serves as a centralized repository for all the educational information, documents, and resources related to the community engagement process.

Education Component September 2024

Education sessions for the AU Community will take place in September to provide insights from law enforcement experts and educators/researchers in the field. 

Learn more

Community Forums October 2024

Community Forums will take place in October, facilitated by students, faculty, and staff, to engage members of the AU Community and to memorialize their perspectives. 

Learn More

Survey October 2024

A university-wide survey to gauge the sentiment of the AU community regarding the various options

Report December 2024

The SRWG expects to complete its work by the end of the fall semester.