One of the newest staff members at Baker University is Associate Vice President of Capital Planning, Facilities and Emergency Management Scott George, who began the position on Oct. 8. George was hired to oversee the safety and security of the campus, including security personnel.

“Before me, managing the security contract was part of someone else’s job,” George said. “I also have municipal background, so I want to talk to the police chief to see how we can partner better. The new chief retired from Lawrence, so he has a lot of resources we can get tapped into.”

George explained that campus security looks after University property and are the go-between from Baker and the police department.

“They respond to calls as needed, they’re checking campus by going out on their routes, they check to be sure fire panels are working correctly, they conduct fire drills, assist the RAs with rule enforcement, and they lock and unlock doors,” George said.

The company has been partnered with the University since 2014 and its parent company is based out of Alaska. George said the officers are trained in a variety of scenarios such as fire safety and active shooter, but do not carry any sort of weapon or have arresting authority.

“They’re more of a safety-security person that can rely on the police force for anything major,” George said.

According to George, there is relatively low crime in the area. The most common calls security officers receive are those dealing with vehicle break-ins and alcohol. However, vehicle break-ins have decreased since the beginning of the school year.

“Some of the same stuff happened when I was here as a freshman. New students coming in, a surge of break-ins and then it usually dies off,” George said. “A lot of it can be attributed to the fact that we’re used to parking at home differently and not caring as much about what we leave in our car.”

George said he has several goals for his new role as a part of Baker’s staff. He hopes to partner with the Baldwin City Police Department in order to best develop plans for the University’s safety.

George plans on supplying students with instructional videos for various potential issues, updating building safety plans, working with fraternities and sororities to guarantee clear communication between the chapters and the police department and ensuring safe interiors. Recently, the security personnel tested locks on each interior door on campus to be sure that they were working properly.

“My main goal is to make sure that students and faculty are the best prepared but never have to use it,” George said. “I think the personal connections with students help us identify potential issues more and helps keep us safe. We don’t want to change who we are from the acts of others, but we do want to be prepared.”