UGA investing millions into campus security after nursing student’s death

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - When University of Georgia (UGA) students return for the fall semester, they will see millions of dollars worth of safety improvements across campus.

The university invested $7.3 million in new security initiatives this year, according to UGA.

The initiatives include installing campus safety ambassadors, launching the UGA Safe app, enhancing lighting, introducing automated license plate readers and more.

“It does make you feel a lot safer knowing that the college does care about us,” Bibek Bhattari, a UGA student, said.

“There is no higher priority at the University of Georgia than the safety and security of our campus community,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead said in a statement. “We continually evaluate our safety programs in close collaboration with our partners. Our ongoing investments are strengthening virtually all aspects of campus security.”

The new measures came following the death of Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed on UGA’s campus.

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UGA officials said the new security initiatives this year add to the more than $16 million in campus security measures over the past eight years, bringing the total investment in safety and security enhancements during that time to more than $23 million.

“What I want people to do is be confident that the university puts a lot of focus on this area and know that behind-the-scenes there’s a lot going on. But they’re going to see evidence of it too,” Daniel Silk, UGA’s associate vice president of campus safety, said.

“It does make you feel a lot safer knowing that the college does care about us,” UGA student Bibek Bhattari said.