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Kirk McLean, the associate vice president for public safety and emergency management, led a safety walk around the campus perimeter on Tuesday. (������/Matt Palmer)

By Matt Palmer

The University held the latest in a series of proactive safety analysis walks around campus on Tuesday. This event brought the community together to both walk the grounds and foster dialogue between public safety staff and University stakeholders.

Hosted by the campus’ Department of Public Safety and the Office of Emergency Management, the walk further helped showcase the University’s dedication to fostering a secure environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Community members helped to identify and address vulnerable spots on campus during the walk.

Kirk McLean, the associate vice president for public safety and emergency management, led the walk from the front of Father O’Connell Hall and around the campus perimeter, from Michigan Avenue to John McCormack Road. McLean answered questions from attendees and offered tips for an even safer experience. 

“The purpose of this is just to get community feedback from everyone,” McLean told the dozens of people who participated, despite the summer heat. “This is a constant thing for DPS and the Office of Emergency Management – to get feedback from our communities. It’s really about hearing from you.”

McLean also shed light on several initiatives implemented during the last year, including hiring Renaud D. Scott II, the University’s program director for emergency response planning.

McLean said the University and his office have increased the following touchpoints:

In addition, McLean’s office has been active in creating the Keep Catholic Safe newsletter and implementing a policy that requires key card access for campus external doors.

“All of these initiatives will keep us safe on campus,” McLean said. “The name of the game is jumping on this in a proactive manner so that when the fall semester starts, we’ve covered those things throughout the year.”