Campus Safety

Since autumn 2023, the university enacted more enhanced safety and security resources, adding to the $35 million figure. This includes:

• Authorizing OSUPD to hire additional police officers 
• Expanding the joint patrol program in the University District between OSUPD and CPD, including dedicating in fall 2024 more officers and new cruiser vehicles that feature badges from both divisions. Four pairs of officers patrol off-campus this year, the most since the partnership started in 2008. These patrols provide additional visibility throughout the University District.
• Purchasing additional mobile surveillance cameras.
• Continued support for the license plate reader program and video storage.
• Renewing Buckeye Block Watch, offering foot patrols in targeted University District areas. The program features security teams who are taught how to deal with difficult situations and learn best practices for public engagement, including mental health responses, first aid and CPR.
• Adding two stops on the east side of High Street, at University Square and South Campus Gateway, to Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) On-Demand. This service provides free transportation between campus buildings after 9 p.m.

To further highlight its priority, safety enhancements are listed as one of OMC’s Key Issues on its public website.

In August 2021, the Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC) launched “Stay Safe, Buckeyes,” a framework to support general awareness of our safety resources. A month later, the university announced additional measures to enhance safety and security on and around campus, bringing the total campus public safety budget to $35 million annually. We also supported the expansion of the popular Lyft Ride Smart program.

Our office works each year with the Department of Public Safety and Office of Student Life on a coordinated, sustained communications plan to educate internal and external stakeholders on our proactive measures. 

Social media

Social media played an instrumental role in building safety awareness across audiences. For the 2023-24 academic year, OMC and the Office of Administration and Planning collaborated on an extensive campus safety paid social media campaign. The social media ads target Ohio State students with messaging that educates and increases awareness about safety tips and resources provided by the university. The campaign targets students based on their geographic location and demographics, ensuring the safety ads effectively reach the correct target audience on social with the right messaging at the most opportune time. 

From Aug. 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024, the campaign garnered 2,752,853 impressions. Along with the paid social campaign, campus safety content is posted organically across the Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) social accounts on a regular basis.

Safety communications and education

At the start of each semester, departments and offices from across Ohio State work together to remind existing campus community members and introduce those new to the university about our safety resources and about living or working in a large, urban environment. Faculty and staff ­­– with a special emphasis on students ­– receive text messages, targeted social media messages, app pushes, Ohio State News Alerts and more dedicated to safety. Tactics and offering by OMC and Student Life, Administration and Planning, Wexner Medical Center and others include:

• Sharing enhanced communications on safety issues by using text and email from Ohio State News to provide brief, timely updates to the university community. These news and updates are designed to provide safety tips, health resources, timely traffic information and more.
• Updating students, faculty and staff, all of whom receive an edition of the On Campus newsletter, with safety information.
• Providing the most recent and useful information and resources to parents and families via the regular Buckeye Family Connection newsletter.
• Introducing Ohio State News Alerts to supplement safety communications, including text messages that are targeted directly to students to get them important safety information about enhanced programs that would benefit them right away. (In addition to Ohio State News Alerts, the university has two types of safety notifications: Buckeye Alerts and Public Safety Notices.)
• Expanding access to parents, families and the community to receive Ohio State News text alerts when there is a timely update for students, faculty and staff about health and safety on and around campus. Parents, families and others can provide their cell phone number to receive the news alerts via text message by texting ‘NEWS’ to 644678.
• Sending targeted mobile push alerts to students via the Ohio State app to promote safety offerings and reinforce the regular emails, social media and other platforms in which safety news is shared. These notifications reinforce key university, Department of Public Safety and Student Life initiatives such as Rave Guardian, Lyft Ride Smart and free safety devices.
• Aggressive and proactive media relations on incorrect or misleading claims about the university’s safety offerings and agenda.
• Strategic, paid social media campaigns around key events like the start of each semester, major football games or in response to crime trends.