Northwest Florida State College has ranked among the top 10 safest college campuses in Florida, according to Niche.com. 

• The rankings for campus safety were established after evaluating campus and community crime rates, rates of violent crimes, and student surveys on crime. 
• NWFSC ranked number 10 out of the 48 colleges and universities evaluated in 2022. 

NWFSC Executive Director of Campus Safety and Security, Chief Aaron Murray, explained that the College’s investment in officer training and development has contributed significantly to its current ranking. 

“In the last four years, we have developed a robust response capability and built great relationships with other public safety agencies in our region,” Chief Murray said. “We have added several technologies and installed additional cameras that vastly improve our ability to monitor situations and respond. We have also actively worked with multiple departments throughout the College on emergency response training, including bleed control, active shooter responses, firearms safety, self-defense, and rape aggression defense training.”

Among the newly incorporated technologies are the Unmanned Aerial Systems. Last month, the College was recognized as one of 10 colleges in the United States to have implemented security drones to improve campus safety, and it is the first in the region to implement a four-member team that can respond to any campus location and launch an aircraft to assist with emergency responses. 

The College has also implemented a FLIR SkyWatch Mobile Surveillance and Deterrence Tower, courtesy of Florida State University, which allows officers to have a bird’s eye view of outdoor events and identify security issues within a crowd

• Additionally, they have the Raider Connect app, which turns cell phones into mobile alert devices. Once the Raider Connect app is activated, campus police officers and the emergency communications center are alerted for an immediate response. 
• The app also provides users access to campus maps, emergency response plans, notifications, and safety training links.

“I am proud of our campus police for their efforts in making our College one of the safest in the state,” said NWFSC President Dr. Devin Stephenson. “This recognition is proof of our commitment to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all of our students, faculty, and staff. We will continue prioritizing safety as we improve our capabilities and expand our Raider Safe Training Program.”