With the funding from the state, Temple University has upgraded its 24/7 dispatch center with new technology, more space, and faster response tools.
“There’s an enormous increase in the number of cameras on campus we have,” said Brian Hathaway, a dispatcher with Temple University Police.
Joshua Nussbaum, deputy director of Emergency Management, said the improvements are important for staff who have to work long hours to keep the campus safe.
“A lot of them are doing 8-hour shifts, sometimes 12-hour shifts overtime. They’re working six to seven days a week,” Nussbaum said. “The more efficient they can be, the better they can help others.”
The dispatch center is where all campus calls, escort requests, and cameras are handled. Officers and dispatchers work around the clock to maintain safety on and around campus.
Hathaway said the system has already been useful during incidents of teens gathering on campus. “We were able to have on camera pretty much everything that was going on,” he said. “We were able to simultaneously monitor different areas of the campus to make sure there weren’t other groups of juveniles causing trouble elsewhere.”
The upgrades also helped Temple’s TU Alert system, allowing alerts to be sent out faster during emergencies. Captain Enoch McCoy said the integration of the alert system with updated software improves the department’s communication efforts.
“The functionality of our call center today gives us an advantage,” McCoy said. “It allows that system to operate and function so we can reach many of our students, our community, and be able to respond.”
Many students continue to use the walking escort service, which dispatches a public safety officer to walk students home on request.
“I’ve used it when we come home late after races,” said Cassidy Burns, a sophomore at Temple. “They normally drop us off at our house, make sure we get in, and then they continue on.” she added, “It definitely made us feel better about being out in the dark, even with a larger group”.
With these upgrades, TUPD says they hope to keep a safer campus environment for all students.
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