With campus safety and security top of mind, we continue implementing and exploring additional safety measures. We are actively addressing concerns and remain committed to keeping conversations going. We wanted to share recent progress, which includes the following:
- Increased patrols: The Chicago Police Department 18th District provided additional patrols in the Lincoln Park campus.
- Improved lighting: The Sheffield Parking Garage upgrade is more than halfway done and on track for completion at the end of this month.
- Additional Public Safety officers: We hired additional officers to have a more visible presence on campus, especially at night
- Enhanced visibility of emergency phone boxes: The emergency phone box in the Sheffield Parking Garage was painted blue to be more visible and be more consistent with other boxes across both campuses.
- Continuing talks with Uber: DePaul Facility Operations Parking and Shuttle Services leaders met with Uber to explore a student rideshare subsidy program. Our next meeting is scheduled for late October, where we anticipate discussing timing and other details.
- Building access and IDs: As shared in an October 2 message, we implemented changes earlier this week. We continue to monitor and listen to feedback about how these changes are affecting students, faculty, and staff.
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DEI training: DePaul is committed to building an inclusive community and recognize ID requests require sensitivity and learning. We announced a new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training for all Public Safety officers to deepen that commitment. We also are working with the Black Student Union to ensure that our policies serve everyone and don’t create other issues, such as racial or ethnic profiling.
Our efforts to enhance Safety and Security – a designated focus area of Designing DePaul – are ongoing. We remain committed to exploring ideas, sharing updates, and engaging in conversations with university community members along the way. Please send any feedback to safety@depaul.edu.
As a reminder, you can visit the DePaul Office of Public Safety site to learn about available resources.