For Associate Vice President of Safety, Security & Emergency Preparedness Grant Gundle, receiving the SafeHome.org distinction of having the safest college campuses in Florida belongs to everyone at Broward College.

This year, Broward College was recognized as the safest college campus in Florida by SafeHome.org.

According to a recent study published by SafeHome.org, of the 28 Florida Colleges, Broward College has the lowest violent-crime rate per 1,000 students in the State and the lowest nationwide among the 500 institutions evaluated. Violent crime rates included in the study were rape, murder, negligent homicide, robbery, aggravated assault, or arson. Only 17 percent of the 500 colleges ranked had no reported on-campuses incidents of violence. In 2018 Broward College only had three incidents of violent crimes across its campuses.

“It’s a great recognition for the hard work that they do,” Gundle said.

They, being the 120 members of Gundle’s staff, but also the students and staff on campus who also support security measures by reporting any incidents they may see.

Reporting crime

The efforts by the College’s security team are complemented by the state-of-the-art Security Operations Center, which stays open 24 hours every day of the week. While Gundle’s staff do not have arrest powers, they work hard to ensure a safe environment for everyone.

One of the benefits that Broward College students have is the ability to report incidents, whether it’s from one of the blue safety phones on campus or their cell phones – thanks to the RAVE Guardian app. The RAVE app is a free service student, and staff can download to report a crime, but also keep relatives or friends (guardians) informed about their location if they need help.

An example is if a student sees a crime being committed, and if they can safely take a photo, they are encouraged to post to the application; it will alert Gundle’s staff. Once there is a report, staff alerts law enforcement.

The Safety, Security & Emergency Preparedness Team

Gundle explained that his office relies a lot on the school community as well to report maintenance issues, such as emergency call boxes that are out of order.  With ten different locations across the county stretching from Coconut Creek to Miramar, Gundle and his staff have their hands full. Throughout the year, Gundle’s team provide a lot of resources for students. One of those initiatives is a monthly newsletter, “The SAFE,” that goes out to the college community. The newsletter includes information for students, the process of reporting crimes, and highlights from previous events.

The team also hosts seminars and events to help students prepare for emergencies, including active shooter training. Gundle encourages students and staff to visit their webpage for more information and safety tips.

Upcoming events

Several upcoming events are being held by Campus Safety & Security, such as Coffee with a Cop, to get to know staff, but learn about the law enforcement profession. For more events like visit the college calendar www.browardcollegeblog.com/calendar.

To learn more about Campus Safety & Security, to find out how to report a crime, or to get to know staff, visit www.broward.edu/safety—interested in a career in public safety, visit www.broward.edu/ips.