Georgia Tech has been in the media for recent crimes reported both on and off campus, but the Institute has also been very active in putting resources in place that help to improve campus safety and security.  

“The safety and security of Georgia Tech students, faculty and staff is our highest priority,” said President G. P. Bud Peterson. “We continue to take additional measures and employ new techniques both on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods to ensure their safety, including the recent addition of five new officers to our Georgia Tech Police Department and initiatives like Jacket Guardian and the SkyCop mobile surveillance unit.”

Additional Police Officers

The Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) is in the process of adding five officers, which will bring the total number of officers to 81.

“With the new hires, we will be able to staff a plain clothes unit assigned to daily hot spots,” said Police Chief Teresa Crocker. “The expansion of the crime prevention unit will help us better address the demands of the campus community.”

Two of the new officers will be assigned to crime prevention, while the other three will be assigned to patrol. One of the new patrol officers will be assigned to the partnership with the Atlanta Police Department unit that patrols the northern border of Tech’s campus as well as the Home Park and Atlantic Station area.

Jacket Guardian

The Institute has implemented a new security service for all members of the campus community known as “Jacket Guardian,” which transforms mobile phones into personal safety devices.

The system is opt-in and allows cellphone users to make an emergency call directly to the GTPD. Jacket Guardian also has a timer feature that a person can set, which will send an alert to the police if the timer expires.

To register for the service, click here.

Crime Prevention 101 Classes and Campus Safety Day

Leading up to Campus Safety Day this Friday, the GTPD will be hosting a series of Crime Prevention 101 classes that will provide information about everything from crime statistics to crime prevention techniques.

The one-hour classes are open to all members of the campus community and will be held daily Feb. 6 to 10. Times and locations are on the GTPD website.

Campus Safety Day events will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, and will include K-9 officer demonstrations every hour (by Tech Walk) and a question and answer session with the Atlanta Police Mounted Patrol (near Clough Commons in the Fourth Street parking lot).

Did You Know?

• The Georgia Tech Police Department now owns a SkyCop, a mobile video monitoring system deployed to various locations on campus.

• There is a Safe Ride Home membership program for Home Park and Centennial Place residents available from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• There is an inoperative exterior lights reportage system available here.