About Public Safety
Swarthmore College Public Safety operates 24/7/365 and is fully committed to supporting a safe and healthy campus environment. Our team members monitor buildings and grounds, respond to emergencies, educate the community on crime prevention, run a campus shuttle, and provide individual safety escorts upon request. Our Community Resource Officer program partners officers with every residence hall and academic and administrative building to foster trust and stronger relationships with students, faculty, and staff members.
We offer a variety of programs, including safety awareness, First Aid/CPR, and STOP the Bleed, and host regular safety break sessions, during which our team members share educational information on specific topics. Our team also regularly meets with on- and off-campus community members to discuss safety and crime prevention.
Mission and Guiding Principles
Public Safety’s mission is to work in partnership with our College community to ensure a safe and secure learning, living, and working environment. We endeavor to be a prompt, professional presence while also instilling personal responsibility and accountability for the rules and regulations of the College and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
We believe safety is a responsibility shared among all students, faculty, staff, and guests to our campus. To that end, we work diligently to:
- Be an accessible, caring, and engaged presence throughout your time on campus.
- Cultivate and maintain clear channels of communication within our team and with the broader College community to enhance understanding of our role on campus and create opportunities for partnership and education.
- Be attentive to the safety of persons and property by consistently and proactively working to reduce risks on our campus.
- Provide intervention and emergency response by promptly and effectively responding to the needs of our community, fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect and consideration among all its diverse members, and instilling personal responsibility and accountability for College, local, state, and federal rules and regulations.
- Inspire confidence and trust as representatives of the College by being a prompt, professional presence in all interactions.
- Collaborate with our community in the spirit of Swarthmore’s values, meeting our shared goal of a safe campus by building strong and intentional ties with College departments, teams, leaders, and individuals as well as local first responders.
- Apply and share our expertise and continually enhance our knowledge, training, and initiatives through innovative approaches to community engagement, involving all our community members in the work of keeping our campus safe.
Background and Training
Each community resource officer undergoes a background check, psychological screening, and physical examination. Our officers receive regular training in a number of areas, including: de-escalation techniques, mental health first aid, implicit bias, gender identity, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Current certifications in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, obstructed airway, standard first aid, and automatic external defibrillators are required of all officers, and several have advanced medical certifications. Training and certifications also include APCO, ASIS Private Security Officer Course, PA Act 235, and PA Act 120.
