4. Campus Security: Australian Case Study

This chapter presents a case study of policing on one large metropolitan university campus in the Australian state of Victoria. Victoria police identified the university campus environment as an ideal setting to interact with students to break down barriers and fear of police. The policing program aimed to enhance the safety, security and well-being of the university community, and ultimately wider social cohesion. The study links police and the university to present empirical findings to inform best practice. The study presents insights into a new Police on Campus Program that has the potential to change the way Australians tend to think about safety and security in university environments. In this chapter, it is shown how a proactive and collaborative approach to on-campus policing can build positive student-police and wider community relationships.