Community Safety and Well-being

Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being

CHARGE

The original University Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being charge was to facilitate a comprehensive analysis of the challenges, opportunities, successes and potential gaps related to the safety of our Ohio State community members. The task force analyzed on-campus and University District crime statistics and current crime prevention and education resources. The group’s recommendations include improving communication, engagement and support of residents on campus and in the near-campus neighborhoods. Recommendations focus on resources that are most important to tangibly improving safety, sense of belonging and community confidence among those engaging in the area. The task force was challenged to identify tactics that help to minimize violence, crime and high-risk activities and behaviors. The group’s approach was anchored in principles that reinforce partnership, well-being, community-building and outcomes-based results.

Following a comprehensive review, the task force published the below recommendations on November 18, 2020 in conjunction with a presentation to Ohio State's Board of Trustees.

Task Force REcommendations SAFETY NEWS

Co-Chairs of Task Force

Jay Kasey
Senior Vice President
Office of Administration and Planning

Melissa Shivers
Vice President
Office of Student Life

Task Force Members

Trudy Bartley
Associate Vice President
Local and Community Relations
Office of Government Affairs

Jennifer Beard
Assistant Dean
College of Public Health

JR Blackburn
Chief of Staff
Office of the President

Natassja (Tassj) Boham
Inter-Professional Council Representative

Mitchell Brown
City Council Member
The City of Columbus

Noah Burton
Student Representative

Dilna Cama
Department Manager
Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services, Office of Student Life

Chris Davey
Interim Vice President
University Communications

Jessica Eveland
Secretary to the Board
Board of Trustees

Anne Garcia
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Office of Legal Affairs

Kate Gomez
Student Representative

Tom Gregoire
Dean
College of Social Work

Matt Hansen
Executive Director
University District Organization
University Community Business Association
University District SID

Molly Hegarty
Managing Director
Office of Student Legal Services

Roaya Higazi
Student Body President
Undergraduate Student Government

Douglas Huffner
Senior Director and Chief Risk Officer
Office of Financial Services / Business & Finance

Dennis Jeffrey
Commander-Patrol Operations Zone 4
Columbus Division of Police,
The City of Columbus

Grace Johnson
Chief of Staff
Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Nicholas Messenger
Council of Graduate Students

Monica Moll
Director
Department of Public Safety

Aaron Moore
Task Force Coordinator
Office of Administration and Planning

Stephen Quaye
Associate Professor
Department of Educational Studies

Kate Pishotti
Deputy Chief of Staff
Mayor’s Office
The City of Columbus

Craig Stone
Deputy Public Safety Director
The City of Columbus

Sherri Tandon
Parent Representative

Adrian Ward
Student Representative

Willie Young
Senior Director
Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services, Office of Student Life

TASK FORCE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS

SAFETY AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

Communication and programming to enhance safety and embrace diversity and inclusion.

ENHANCED SECURITY MEASURES

Expanded surveillance, improved lighting and increased police and security patrols.

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT

Social services and community partnerships along with police outreach to marginalized groups.

Safety Awareness and Education

Recommendations	Rationale	Action(s) Taken	Status
Develop a comprehensive, layered educational campaign of all safety resources.	Connect students with education and resources so they are more informed about crime prevention, bystander intervention and how to access resources Consider the impact of alcohol on crime and promote harm reduction and prevention efforts	Launched Safety Spotlight video series featuring self-defense tactics and resources. Launched new, comprehensive safety resources webpage.	Completed (Spring 2021)
Expand and enhance the Community Ambassador program.	Increased engagement and targeted communication with University District students/residents. Variety of communication methods will be critical to not only disseminate information but to also learn from students (what they are experiencing, what they want/need, etc.).	Expanded service boundaries and staffing. In the process of hiring full-time staff and additional student employees to support the expanded Community Ambassador Program for autumn 2022. Provided resources to our students and collected information throughout the school year as part of our annual outreach program.	Completed (Spring 2022) Ongoing
Create and launch a safety class targeted for community members living off-campus.	Empower students to gain knowledge about how to promote personal safety	A new Stay Safe, Buckeyes online safety class to help students enhance their own safety on and off-campus. The one-hour, video-based module is hosted in BuckeyeLearn and covers topics such as crime prevention, crime reporting, when and how the university sends safety notifications and more.	Completed (Fall 2021)
Increase access and attendance in the off-campus living workshops	Prepare students and their families for the transition from on-campus living to off-campus living	Solicited feedback from parents and families to keep all Buckeyes informed about the transition off-campus. Piloting a revamped workshop with 10 STEP cohorts and to be rolled out to students living in residence halls during the autumn semester Recorded a student virtual workshop to be accessible 24/7 (video). Worked with Parent and Family Relations to host live and recorded parents/family workshops (video). Piloted a revamped workshop with 10 STEP cohorts in autumn 2021. Beginning in autumn 2022, the workshop will be offered to all Step cohorts. Working with Residence Life to integrate off-campus education into their Residential Curriculum for first and second-year students.	Completed Fall 2021 Ongoing
Enhance the existing cultural diversity and implicit bias training in OSUPD	Training topics over the past several years have included implicit bias, bias-based profiling, crisis intervention (has de-escalation components), but a more comprehensive approach would advance these efforts	Enhanced cultural diversity training for OSUPD. University Police supervisors graduated from a 6-week online leadership course from the National Center for Civil and Human Rights called, “Promoting and Protecting Civil and Human Rights.” Partnered with the Kirwan Institute to develop and implement annual training program. See a video on this training from Spring 2022.	Completed (Summer 2021) Completed (Spring 2022)

Enchanced Security Measures

Recommendations	Rationale	Action(s) Taken	Status
Reintroduce an unarmed security presence to provide community-based crime prevention in the University District.	Increase awareness of crime prevention, build relationships with members of the community, reallocate policing resources to situations where their expertise is most needed, deter crime and increase sense of safety	Reengaged with Community Crime Patrol for off-campus security foot patrols. Created Buckeye Block Watch which includes Community Crime Patrol and Block by Block. Utilized private security patrols to supplement sworn police and other non-sworn security in off-campus area. Relaunched Campus Service Officer program with student security paired in vehicles.	Completed (Fall 2020) Completed (Fall 2021)
Evaluate lighting and landscape in the off-campus neighborhoods in partnership with the City of Columbus.	Security-enhancing work and upgrades aim to increase safety; public safety scorecard will keep community up to date on progress	Immediate lighting repairs along with a lighting survey to inform longer-term enhancements. Monthly surveillance and reporting of streetlight concerns to the City of Columbus by the Community Crime Patrol Added mobile lights (Aug. 27, 2021) along highly traveled off-camus pathways. Transitioned a potion of mobile lights to permanent LED lighting in Spring 2022. Working with property owners to encourage and maintain exterior lighting and landscape to promote safety in the community	Completed (Fall 2020) Ongoing Partially Completed (Spring 2022) Ongoing
Extend the hours and promotion of the Lyft Ride Smart program.	Provide access to safe transportation at all hours when other services such as CABS and COTA are not available	Expanded discounted ridesharing hours from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. (formerly 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.) Expanded service to the Short North, along High Street	Completed (Fall 2020) Completed (Fall 2021)
Expand and enhance Ohio State Off-Campus Housing Network (previously known as the Off-Campus Housing Excellence Program)	Engage local landlords in meaningful way to educate them on safety as well as provide students with resources on which landlords are partnering with university on safety Ensure access and appropriate use of security devices	Developed the Ohio State Off-Campus Housing Network, which will be a partnership across our community that will support an iconic off-campus residential experience.  Property owners that participate in the Ohio State Off-Campus Housing Network will commit to pre-determined criteria and be considered in-network.  Those property owners in-network will be the only entities to access the Ohio State Off-Campus Housing Network benefits.  In addition, students and families will have access to information about in-network property owners and will be able to make informed decisions about living off-campus.	Completed (Spring 2022) Ongoing
Expand surveillance coverage in the off-campus neighborhoods.	Enable CPD and OSU DPS to access camera view in the surrounding areas when they become aware of a safety concern	Expanded surveillance coverage in the off-campus neighborhoods with the addition of four cameras in Fall 2020 and five during Spring 2021.	Completed (Spring 2021)
Increase the staffing of OSUPD to allow for more joint coverage and OSUPD patrol coverage of university property East of High.	Allows for an OSU police officer to be available as a liaison to help students in the off-campus neighborhoods	Increased police presence in the off-campus area with a combination of OSUPD and CPD officers. Ohio State and the City of Columbus adjusted to crime trends by redeploying on-duty patrols and staffing patrols on overtime to add to the police presence in the University District. OSUPD continues to recruit, hire and train sworn police officers to fill vacancies and retirements. The goal to expand OSUPD coverage, through joint patrol east of High Street, is longer-term and anticipated for FY23. Joint patrol was reinitiated in June 2022.	Completed (Summer 2022)

Outreach and Engagement Efforts

Recommendations	Rationale	Actions Taken	Status
Conduct a campus-wide safety survey for students.	To better understand perception of safety as well as student awareness of safety resources	Issued a student safety survey in Spring 2021 to gauge the overall perception of safety both on and off campus as well as awareness of Ohio State’s resources and programs. Results have been analyzed and shared.	Completed (Spring 2021) Completed (Fall 2022)
Add resources to the University District Organization (UDO) to develop and offer social service outreach.	Provide dedicated outreach to properly connect the homeless to resources and support	Partnered with the UDO to add a full-time Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) in the off-campus area to provide additional outreach and support for the housing vulnerable. The College of Social Work will provide placement opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to acquire supervised experience with the LISW as part of their in-the-field training.	Completed (Summer 2021)
Develop and strengthen OSU partnerships with grass roots and community organizations to advance greater safety and wellness.	Reinforce relationships between Ohio State and community organizations to address chronic stressors within the campus community thereby increasing safety and wellness.	To advance greater safety and wellness, Student Life provided event space and support for an 8-week summer “Pathways to Progress” program for 100 youth (16-18 years old). University District Organization and University Area Commission are launching the "Be/well" initiative to engage community members and groups in gathering feedback about community safety and well-being, and how they want to see community cultivated. Pre-semester messaging about resources and how to support students is being distributed to local businesses, property owners, etc.	Completed (Summer 2021) Ongoing
Work with the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) to expand on OSU PD’s existing community policing programs and initiatives, with a special focus on outreach and interactions with marginalized groups.	Improve the relationship between the police and the communities they serve Increase positive and safe interactions aimed to build trust and reduce fear with all communities	A Student Safety Dialogue was held on Thursday, April 22. Students had the opportunity to share what safety means to them to a panel of university and external representatives, including OSUPD, CPD, Student Life and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Community outreach and engagement opportunities were offered to programs and student organizations over the summer (i.e., Office of Diversity and Inclusion early arrival, Young Scholars Program, Redefining Athletic Standards, etc.) with future engagement planned an expected throughout the year.	Ongoing

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM MEMBERS

Following the development and approval of the recommendations put forth by the Task Force, three implementation teams were formed to analyze and create implementation plans for each of the recommendations:

Safety Awareness and Education
Enhanced Security Measures
Outreach and Engagement Efforts

These teams are supported by executive sponsors from across the university.

Implementation Team Executive Sponsors

The executive sponsors of the Community Safety and Well-Being Task Force are:

Jay Kasey
Senior Vice President for Administration and Planning

Mike Papadakis, MBA
Senior Vice President and CFO, Treasurer

Paul Patton
Senior Advisor to the President, Office of the President

Melissa Shivers, PhD
Vice President for the Office of Student Life

Safety and Education Implementation Team

Name	Area
Dr. Stephen Quaye (Co-Chair) quaye.13@osu.edu	Associate Professor Higher Education and Student Affairs Department of Educational Studies
Blake Marble (Co-Chair) marble.11@osu.edu	Director of Student Life Student Wellness Center
Dilna Cama	Department Manager, Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services. Office of Student Life
Dan Hedman	Director A&P Communications
Molly Hegarty	Managing Director OSU Student Legal Services
Sheri Tandon	Parent Representative
Bill Phillips	Chief Relationship Office, OCIO
Kate Gomez	Student Representative
Joanna Shaul	Lieutenant, University Law Enforcement Officer, University Police
Zaida Jenkins	Representative from Undergraduate Student Government
Tom Knox	Assistant Director, University Communications
Claire Halffield	Representative from Inter-Professional Council
Nicole Holman	Assistant Director, A&P Communications
Dennis Jeffrey	Commander-Patrol Operations Zone 4 Columbus Division of Police, The City of Columbus
Rachel DeMooy	Program Manager, Off-Campus Commuter Student Services, Office of Student Life

Enhanced Security Measures Implementation Team

Name	Area
Director Monica Moll (Co-Chair) moll.43@osu.edu	Director, Department of Public Safety
Aaron Moore (Co-Chair) moore.2542@osu.edu	Program Coordinator, A&P Administration
Dennis Jeffrey	Commander-Patrol Operations Zone 4 Columbus Division of Police, The City of Columbus
Doug Huffner	Senior Director & Chief Risk Officer, Office of Financial Services / Business & Finance
Nick Messenger	Representative from the Council of Graduate Students
Bill Phillips	Chief Relationship Office, OCIO
Stacey Renker	Director of Risk and Emergency Management, Office of Student Life
Dilna Cama	Department Manager, Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services. Office of Student Life
Rachel DeMooy	Program Manager, Off-Campus Commuter Student Services, Office of Student Life
Aparna Dial	Senior Director of Sustainability and Strategic Services, Facilities Operations and Development
Deputy Chief Tracy Hahn	Deputy Chief of Police, University Police Department
Shea Daley	Representative from Inter-Professional Council
Nicole Holman	Assistant Director, A&P Communications
Aaron McKee	Representative from Undergraduate Student Government

Outreach and Engagement Implementation Team

Trudy Bartley (Co-Chair) bartley.80@osu.edu	Associate Vice President Local and Community Relations OSU Government Affairs
Matt Hansen (Co-Chair) hansen.175@osu.edu	Senior Campus Planner Planning Architecture and Real Estate
Jennifer Beard	Assistant Dean OSU College of Public Health
Natassja Boham	Representative from Inter-Professional Council
Tom Gregoire	Dean - OSU College of Social Work
Grace Johnson	Chief of Staff OSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Craig Stone	Deputy Public Safety Director Columbus Division of Police
Bill Phillips	Chief Relationship Office, OCIO
Kimberly Spears-McNatt	Chief of Police, University Police
Nicole Nieto	Assistant Vice Provost, Academic Affairs
Na’Tyra Green	Associate Editor, Executive Communications
Grant Ames	Legislative Assistant for Columbus City Councilman Mitchell Brown
Keith Troy	Pastor, New Salem Baptist Church
Adam Troy	Commercial Real Estate and Economic Development
Kacy Bullard	Director of Advocacy, Office of Government Affairs and The Ohio State University Alumni Association
Katherine Cull	Neighborhood Liaison with the City of Columbus
Doreen Uhas Sauer	Education and Outreach Coordinator, Columbus Landmarks
DaVonti Haynes	Graduate Research Associate, Student Life
Sandra Lopez	Legislative Advisor, Community Engagement Columbus City Council
Tracy Stuck	Prog Dir Comm Partnership & Innovation, Student Life
Anna Stewart	Assistant Director of Field Education, College of Social Work

SAFETY RESOURCES

Search “Rave Guardian” inside the Ohio State app.

RAVE GUARDIAN

Download the app by searching “Rave Guardian” inside the Ohio State app.

Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State offers eligible students discounted rides, inside the university-designated service area, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

LYFT RIDE SMART AT OHIO STATE

Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State offers students discounted rides, inside the university-designated service area, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

SAFETY NOTICES

Ohio State’s Department of Public Safety uses a variety of methods to communicate with the campus community.

HOME SAFETY

Remember to lock your windows and doors and pick up complimentary safety alarms and timers from the Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services office located in the Ohio Union.

ADD OSUPD TO YOUR CONTACTS

Add our non-emergency number 614-292-2121 to your contacts and always
dial 9-1-1 in case of emergencies.

QUESTIONS

For questions, please e-mail safetytaskforce@osu.edu.

LINKS

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Community Safety and Well-being

Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being