Just one third of students feel security keeps students safe on campus

A report recently released by the Centre of the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) has found that under one third of students (30.8%) agreed that security services keep students safe on campus.

The report, “Whose campus, whose security?” looks into increasing securitisation across university campuses in the UK. It is the “first empirical account” on students’ opinions on the issue.

According to the report, over a third of students said they saw campus security daily. 73.8% of respondents felt race was a factor which increases the likelihood of a person encountering campus security.

“Gender (61.7%), social class (54.8%), migrant status (47.9%), nationality (44.9%) and sex worker status (41.6%)” are among other factors which people believe increases their chances of an encounter with campus security.

Only 22.6% of respondents who identify as trans, non-binary, or an ‘other’ gender said that campus security help keep students safe. This number falls to 7.7% concerning the police force.

Students also questioned the capacity of campus security to be the first responders in the case of a mental health crisis. According to the report, “In some cases, security personnel have worsened mental health crises,” and at other times were unprepared to respond effectively.

The CoDE primarily investigates ethnic inequalities across Britain, and are led “by the University of Manchester with researchers based at partner institutions across England and Scotland.”

The 77-page document details the findings from extensive research undertaken by the centre, comprising of a survey of 635 people, 30 regional interviews, and data obtained from freedom of information requests.

The report comes after “a series of high-profile and controversial incidents involving campus security services and police and students at UK universities.”

In 2020, University of Manchester security guards were accused and later acquitted of racial profiling when a student was approached and pinned to a wall by security in the Fallowfield campus.

Recently, police have been present on campus during the arrest of Ruby Hamill, the Just Stop Oil activist, as well as during some UoM Rent Strike actions.

The report raises concerns that campus securitisation is a “underdiscussed” way in which institutional racism operates on university campuses.

Lead author of the report, Remi Joseph-Salisbury, has said:  

“From the student protests in response to the treatment of Zac Adan, to NUS Liberation policy raising concerns about security services, and the formation of student activist groups such as Cops off Campus, it’s clear that the role of campus security needs much closer scrutiny. This report provides an evidence base and highlights a range of problems. The onus is now on institutions to respond and show that their commitments to equality are sincere and determined.”