Story by Ciara Benham, Contributing writer 

Against over 4,700 institutions, the Murray State Police Department and Center for Adult and Regional Education were named first in the nation for campus safety initiatives.

Both units were awarded the 2018 Department of the Year award by Safe Campus, the national conference on university safety.  The Department of the Year award recognizes outstanding accomplishment in student and campus safety by a U.S. college or university administrative department, according to campus safety initiatives put in place in the past year.

Murray State Police Chief James Herring explained the significance of working for Murray State.

“The employees of our department could work for any police department and be considered the very best employees, but we choose to work here because we know we can make a difference in the lives of the members of our community,” Herring said. “We get to see the results of our work much more than municipal police departments do. We see the results daily when we respond to calls and interact with students. We also see the results twice a year when our students graduate and begin to contribute to our society in positive ways. We look at that and know we helped make that happen.”

Safe Campus chose Murray State largely based on their response to the explosion of James H. Richmond Hall in June 2017.

“In the two hours after the incident began, the university assembled a communications response team; held media briefings; established call lines to receive parent calls; sent emails to the campus, alumni, prospective students and the parents of camp attendees; and launched a parent/student FAQ site,” according to the Safe Campus official award report.

After the explosion, the Police Department and Center for Adult and Regional Education collaborated to develop a centralized communications calendar and a new procedural plan for groups who visit campus.

Herring said the police department isn’t the only organization to thank for the new campus initiatives.

“Dr. Renee Fister facilitated the collaboration that also included Athletics, Student Affairs, Housing, IDEA, Academic Affairs and the President’s Office, helping guide us to develop the safety initiative that was awarded,” Herring said.

The safety of Murray State translates into the everyday lives of students.

Chelsea Jones, freshman from Meade County, Kentucky, voiced her opinion about the safety of campus.

“Safety was a big factor I took into consideration when choosing a college and Murray State was the winner by far,” Jones said. “I have never felt unsafe on this campus because there are officers and emergency posts around at all times.”

The University units will be recognized in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the National Campus Safety Summit in February 2019.