Laken Riley’s brutal murder on the University of Georgia campus was a heinous, senseless crime — one that devastated our campus community. We continue to grieve her tragic death.
But for an ill-informed group to claim the crime was “100% preventable” had the university heeded its advice is not only shamefully opportunistic, it is also patently false. And it is highly disappointing that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution did not give the university an opportunity to comment.
Credit: Andrew Davis Tucker
Credit: Andrew Davis Tucker
The University of Georgia is a community of more than 50,000 people that also hosts alumni and other visitors to our campus for events throughout the year. We are akin to a midsized city, and we are a microcosm of society. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee 100% safety. We are never perfectly safe, but we must always strive to be safer.
As someone who is a 30-year veteran of local, university and federal law enforcement, I can assure you that UGA’s commitment to public safety is sincere and that its investment in cutting-edge security enhancements is extensive. There truly is no higher priority than the safety of all members of our campus community.
That is why the University of Georgia has invested $23 million over the past eight years on safety and security enhancements throughout our 760-acre campus, including $16 million in enhancements before Riley’s murder. The comprehensive measures taken since 2016 include:
· Hundreds of lighting upgrades and improvements;
· More than $4 million in additional camera security systems installed across campus properties;
· Enhanced overnight transportation options, including a rideshare program that operates every night of the week. Nearly 129,000 rides have been provided to UGA students through this service since its inception in December 2021;
· The installation of 20 emergency call stations, each equipped with 360-degree cameras, 24/7 video recording and Wi-Fi;
· A 21% increase in the number of UGA Police Department officers;
· Eleven Campus Safety Ambassadors who are on duty from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. each night of the week and can escort students as they walk through campus;
· Nearly 20,000 subscribers to the UGA Safe App, which features a mobile BlueLight and allows users to immediately contact police;
· Additional security fencing with gate access via key card;
· Twenty automated license plate readers in strategic locations across campus;
· Permanent increases to UGA’s infrastructure budget to support annual maintenance and ongoing lighting and security camera upgrades;
· Partnerships with and funding for Athens-Clarke County to make additional upgrades outside the bounds of the UGA campus.
We will not divert resources from proven safety measures to the misguided ideas promoted by SafeD Athens. But we will continue to work with local, state and federal law enforcement and other responsible, well-intentioned partners across the state of Georgia and beyond to continuously evaluate and improve our safety and security measures.
I cannot simply stand by and let misleading commentary about the university’s public safety efforts go unchallenged. I have never worked in any environment in which safety is more important, and the university’s dedication to the health and well-being of students is unwavering.
There is not a police chief, parent or university administrator I have ever met who would not leap at the chance to genuinely guarantee 100% safety. As much as it pains me to say it, it’s not a promise we can make. We can, however, commit ourselves to doing all we reasonably can, in conjunction with our community partners, to strive to make our campus safer every day.
P. Daniel Silk is the associate vice president for public safety at the University of Georgia and former UGA chief of police. He has served as a captain with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and served on the first permanent staff at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, after 9/11 as a special agent with the U.S. State Department.
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