Ohio State adds private security patrols to curb crime
Columbus OH Oct 2 2021 Ohio State will work with the private sector to increase security patrols and safety measures in the university area.
This week, Ohio State announced that it will team up with the Columbus police department to provide additional law enforcement resources and it will also hire private contractors to increase patrols around campus, but these contractors will not act as police officers.
The announcement did not say if they would be armed.
OSU like many other universities, have seen an increase in crimes, including those considered to be violent.
The Ohio State University will invest an additional $2 million per year over the next decade to enhance safety and security on and around campus, President Kristina M. Johnson and Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced today. The additional investment is expected to be at least $20 million, and the university’s total safety and security budget will grow to an expected $23.5 million each year.
The announcement comes after an increase in gun violence in Columbus.
“We are all committed to working hand-in-hand until this problem is solved in our community and our city,” Johnson said.
Ohio State issued a neighborhood safety notice this morning after police responded to a home near Tuller Street and Woodruff Avenue, following a report of someone discharging a firearm near a home. Johnson and Ginther said gun violence in the city must stop.
Ginther pointed to a shooting in Columbus last night where a 12- and 16-year-old were injured. He said these violent crimes are more than statistics.
“These incidents of violence have become all too familiar, but they remain just as tragic, devastating, infuriating and unacceptable as ever,” Ginther said. “Safety in all of our neighborhoods is my top priority. We will continue working closely with our partners at Ohio State around the clock to help prevent crime and hold those who commit crimes accountable.”
“There is nothing I take more seriously than student safety. Our students’ safety is number one and it always will be,” Johnson said. “I will not rest until this is solved.”
