University launches council to engage campus and surrounding community in safety and security efforts

Public Safety Advisory Council will provide feedback to University leaders on priorities and policies

The University of Chicago has launched a new Public Safety Advisory Council to better engage members of the campus and surrounding community in the University’s safety and security efforts.

Representatives of the council will include University faculty, students and staff, along with community members. Its members will provide advice and counsel to University leaders on issues impacting campus and in the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) extended patrol area to ensure that the University’s public safety priorities, policies, and operations are informed by community input and feedback.

In a message to the University community announcing the council on May 6, President Paul Alivisatos and Provost Ka Yee C. Lee said the council will be made up of a diverse group of stakeholders who will work closely with the Department of Safety and Security, including UCPD, “to support community awareness and understanding of the University’s efforts to improve the safety and security of our shared community.”

The effort is the latest in a series of new public safety initiatives designed to continue improving safety and security in and around campus.

“The Public Safety Advisory Council represents our ongoing commitment to involve campus and community members in the safety and security decision-making process,” Alivisatos said. “We look forward to regular engagement with this group as we continue working to enhance safety on campus and in the surrounding community.”

Representatives will be selected via an application process, which is now open and will run through May 27. More information is available on the council’s website.