SC State University zeroes in on safety planning with law enforcement summit

More than 20 representatives from state and local law enforcement and emergency agencies were on hand.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University is strengthening campus safety ahead of the fall semester through closer collaboration with state and local law enforcement and emergency medical service partners.

The university held a law enforcement summit June 18 at the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium to strengthen coordination among its partners.

SC State President Alexander Conyers said ensuring the safety of everyone, including students at both Claflin and SC State universities, was paramount.

“When you combine the students, faculty and staff at both universities, we make up a large portion of the people who live, work and play here in the city. We want them to feel just as safe on our campuses as any place else they may go,” the president said.

“Our students here in Orangeburg deserve the same level of commitment to safety and security as students at any other university in the state. Whatever the situation may be, we look forward to working with you to strengthen our relationship and strengthening our position here in this community because everyone in this community depends on each other,” Conyers said.

The summit brought together representatives from:

• Charleston Police Department
• Columbia Police Department
• Richland County Sheriff's Department
• Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office
• South Carolina Law Enforcement Division
•  Orangeburg Department of Public Safety
• Claflin University Police Department
• Medical University of South Carolina
• South Carolina Emergency Management Division
• Orangeburg County Emergency Services
• South Carolina Wildlife and Fisheries 

 

SC State focuses on operations plan to increase safety, security

While Conyers outlined the university's commitment to strengthening partnerships, Leevaine Williams Jr., associate vice president of campus safety and security, shifted the discussion to how those partnerships will support football season and other large campus events.

Williams outlined the university's public safety priorities, including:

• Additional police officers
• K-9 assets
• South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers
• Special Weapons and Tactics units,
• TV and bicycle patrols
• A mobile Emergency Operations Center
• Cooling stations
• Triage areas for minor, serious and life-threatening medical issues.
• Improved traffic and pedestrian control measures, including preassigned parking flows and gridlock mitigation.
• Weather contingency plans.

“Sixty days from now we plan to tighten communications and have a medical plan. Thirty days out from then prior to football season, we finalize unified support, a communication plan to have a solidified mutual agreement,” Williams said.  “Seven days before the start of football season, we’ll have a final walk-through with the planners, and then as we prepare for other upcoming game days, we’ll have execution.”

The planning effort also accounts for the significant construction taking place across campus, which will require adjustments to parking and traffic flow.

“This year will probably be our most challenging year because we’re going through so much construction. So we are going to be losing some parking spaces for this upcoming football season until we conclude with all of the construction,” Conyers said.

The university is considering alternative parking at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds, near the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office, on vacant Russell Street lots and at Claflin University with shuttle service to campus.

Williams also outlined the university's game day traffic plan, including preassigned parking routes, multiple open gates and zone-based traffic flow. He said additional law enforcement officers will be needed to deter mass gatherings, swarming and pop-up events while managing overflow parking. The medical plan calls for notifying an MUSC liaison if larger crowds require additional EMS personnel.

Staffing needs increase significantly during the university's largest events, particularly Homecoming, when as many as 50,000 people are expected on campus.

“We’ve got to have enough manpower at all places,” Williams said.  “Having roving patrols and rapid response forces is going to be a game changer for us, as well as the canine support teams.” 

Game day traffic plans for the primary traffic corridors along U.S. Highway 301, SC Highway 601 and Highways 21 and 33 would also be developed to include signal timing coordination through the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety. Electronic board messaging to include which gates would be open for game day ticket purchases and game day traffic use will also be coordinated to offset gridlock, Williams said.

Student involvement and communication

Williams said students also will help develop the safety plan for the upcoming football season.

Beyond law enforcement planning, university officials said students also will help communicate safety expectations before major events.

“We want them to be a part of this,” he said.

University officials also emphasized that campus safety efforts rely on student engagement, particularly during major events such as Homecoming. 

“We typically have a town hall with students prior to every homecoming so that they are aware of our expectations and that they can share it with their peers who may not attend,” said Dr. Tamara Jeffries, vice president of student affairs at SC State. “We try to keep them involved, especially from a student leader perspective, so they can push that information down and hold their peers accountable for their behavior.”

The university also plans to reinforce those efforts through a broader communications campaign aimed at students, alumni and visitors before football season.

Sam Watson, executive director of strategic communications and marketing at SC State, said his department plans to launch a safety awareness campaign for students and alumni. 

“We’ve done that pretty much every year, but this year we’re going to ramp it up with a little more aggressive approach to contacting the students,” Watson said.

University priorities identified 

Conyers said the university will begin by fencing Hugine Suites, with plans to eventually extend fencing around the entire campus. The project will reduce entry points into the 14-building, 700-student residential complex from about 40 to approximately 16, improving security and helping manage large crowds during events such as football games.

Funding has been secured for the Hugine Suites project, which officials hope to complete by homecoming, while the university continues to seek funding for additional campus fencing.

Conyers said the university also recognizes that improving safety requires continued investment in equipment, training and staffing.

“A lot of it is on us. We are learning as we go, as well. We have to make sure that we have enough scanners, that we have enough folks on the gate and that we are flexible. We have to be able to know that perhaps the 90 percent solution is good enough. The 90 percent solution in time is better than the 100 percent solution once the clock runs out. Then it’s too late,” he said.

Conyers said he knows the safety plan will come at a cost. 

“We know that some of this can’t be passed on to your agency. So, again, whatever extra that is for us for six home games is better than us hiring folks for the entire year that we only need for six games. So you may see us re-engage you again for officers to moonlight for us at certain times,” he said.

“We’re willing to work with you all to do whatever it takes to make this work for the taxpayers of South Carolina, for the parents of the students, the faculty and staff and our gameday patrons here on campus.”

Law enforcement, EMS officials commend university’s early safety planning

Representatives from participating agencies praised the university for bringing partners together well before the start of the fall semester, saying the additional planning time will improve coordination and emergency response.

“I do think that it is imperative that we have the collaborations that we have within our local partners,” Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chandra Gibbs said. “To be able to work in tandem with them prior to these major events provides that level of communication, provides a level of awareness so that we can make sure that people have a safe and enjoyable time while they’re on campus.”

Other local emergency responders said the collaborative planning process benefits not only first responders but the broader campus community.

“I’m glad to see the university reaching out to the local partners to have a more comprehensive plan for the events. It prepares them, it prepares us and the community. The ultimate goal is to prepare the students, too,” said Billy Staley, director of Orangeburg County EMS. 

South Carolina Highway Patrol Commander Col. Christopher N. Williamson said involving law enforcement agencies early in the planning process helps them better support the university with football traffic and other major events. “

“This is great. I wish that every university or every agency would get together and plan like this because we’re in a world now where we need each other. We have to depend on each other. “With agencies being short on manpower, the more we can pull together and collaborate on doing events for one another, the more personnel and manpower we’ll have.”

Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Chief Charles P. Austin Sr., an SC State alumnus, commended Conyers and his team for recognizing that outside agencies are willing to help.

“It’s all aimed for one common goal, and that’s to be sure that with whatever event we have, the best outcome is that we can come and leave without any safety issues. I think it’s going to help all of us. I am very encouraged by the proactive steps that have been taken,” Austin said.

 Conyers credited Williams with bringing local, state and regional agencies together well ahead of the fall semester to develop and execute a plan.

“This was a priority that I gave him to coordinate and orchestrate a much better working relationship and partnership with other local and state law enforcement agencies so that we are well prepared for football season,” Conyers said. “I’m really pleased with the turnout.”

Core planners are set to meet again in July to tackle specifics and support roles.