The University of Nevada, Reno Police Chief Eric James said on Wednesday that the department is continuously working to keep students and staff safe.
James said there are several there are several safety measures located on campus such as blue lights with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), an emergency messaging system as well as officers from UNR PD on campus 24/7 to assist students and staff.
Regarding the August 27 incident on campus – in which a student was allegedly threatened by four individuals in a vehicle with a weapon after trying to inform the vehicles’ occupants their lights were not on – James said the University campus is a safe place and that the incident was isolated and could have happened anywhere in the City of Reno or Washoe County.
“I think you need to know this is the safest three hundred acres in Northern Nevada,” James said.
In addition, he said the University police department has “great relationships” with the Reno and Sparks police departments as well as the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
When it comes to measures students and staff can do to better protect themselves, James said advised students to walk without their headphones, put any cellphones away to pay closer attention to their surroundings and walk with a friend if it is late at night.
Extra precautions to avoid theft include locking their door rom doors, bike locker and never leaving personal items unattended.
“A lot of the crimes that we see are crimes of opportunity and if someone sees it (they could) take it, and that’s what we see a lot around here,” James said
As the campus grows each year, James said the safety precautions to protect students and staff will follow the changes.
