Bowling Green campus police officers work closely with the city department to ensure the safety of students and residents. Through recent technological advances among the campus, safety is a top priority.

 Bowling Green State University does their part to ensure the safety of their students by taking any offense – no matter the size – seriously, and by responding as quickly as possible. One of the strong qualities of having two departments work so closely with each other is that backup is only about five minutes away, according to Luidhardt, with original response time being “90 seconds to 2 minutes,” said Deputy Chief Jon Luidhardt.

“What happens on campus happens in the city,” said Luidhardt. However, this relationship does not stay strong simply because it has to, but rather due to the respect for the other department and the importance of communication between departments, Luidhardt said, “You’re not going to see officers going downtown or on the west side of the city, writing tickets or taking enforcement actions unless BG city has asked for it.”

Alongside the passionate police departments, the campus police officers are upgrading numerous safety features for themselves and all-around campus. For example, if the blue light phones stop appearing around campus – don’t be alarmed – they are being upgraded to cameras scattered throughout areas of campus that will be monitored at all times. The blue light phones have been under research, with other college campuses replacing them for better enhanced safety features, Deputy Chief Luidhardt said, “If someone calls 911 from a blue light phone then hangs up that really doesn’t tell us anything.” The campus police officers have also updated their handguns from 45mm to 9mm to better ensure the safety of students and visitors if the weapons are to be of use. While most of the crimes revolve around underage offenses and theft throughout dorms and the recreational center, one should always be prepared for the worst.