Howard University News July 23, 2015 Campus Safety Issues Take Center Stage at Conference at Howard More than 60 public safety professionals from throughout the nation convened at Howard University this week for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Law Enforcement Executives and Administrators (HBCU-LEEA) annual conference. The week-long conference is designed as an information and networking event for HBCUs to share best practices in the fields of college safety and crime prevention. Some 105 HBCU institutions are active members of the HBCU-LEEA. Brian K. Jordan, chief of police and executive director for safety and security at Howard, made opening remarks on Wednesday. As chairman of the conference and liaison on gun safety for university campuses for International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), Chief Jordan was enthusiastic about the implications of the University being a host site. "Howard University has one of the largest public safety agencies among HBCUs, and our unique working relationship with local and federal partners, as well as our proximity to the U.S. Department of Education, allows us to bring renowned leaders from acclaimed entities to provide training," he said. "We have panelists from FBI, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), Clery Center (for Security on Campus), the National Center for Campus Public Safety and more because they're in our backyard." Chief Jordan explained that exposure to the University allows it to be a leader in campus public safety, not just amongst HBCUs but public and private universities throughout the nation. The conference's professional development module was filled with training sessions on racial bias, bias related to young people, riots, active shooters, marketing and branding campus public safety, neighborhood fear, the impact of social media and sexual assault. Catharine Lhamon, assistant secretary in the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights, made a presentation on sexual assault, a crime that's prevalent on college campuses. "It's important for us to remember that all of our students may be subjected to sexual assault -- male, female or transgender," she said. "Those students must have full support, and universities must understand that they have to have their backs if something happens." Wednesday's afternoon session focused on Active Shooter Response with a simulated on-campus exercise and discussion of the FBI's Active Shooter Initiative, led by FBI Special Agent, Katherine Schweit. At the end of training days, family events and activities were planned for the registrants with a special cruise on the Potomac River for the week's main social event. The conference will end on Friday with a training session at the host hotel. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.