Liberty University completes first phase of large-scale campus security camera project

Staff members can monitor camera footage from the Liberty Emergency Management and Community Engagement office.

Liberty University’s Office of Security and Public Safety (OSPS) recently completed the first phase of a major expansion of the campus security camera system, which includes the installation of more than 1,000 new cameras in highly populated outdoor areas and at entrances and exits of all buildings.

The project is part of a major investment in campus safety and security in recent years, including the installation of blue light call boxes in 2022 and an upgrade to its emergency operations and dispatch center, completed in 2023.

With more than 7,000 acres of campus grounds and nearly 200 buildings, OSPS worked closely with departments across the university to evaluate crime statistics and crime prevention to strategically determine the camera locations. Phases two and three will focus on updating cameras near commonly traversed outdoor and interior corridors, hallways, campus entrances, and garage spaces. The project is expected to be finished in 18-24 months.

“The camera project is a campuswide initiative that continues to show Liberty’s commitment to safety and security,” Vice President of OSPS Marcus Tinsley said. “We continue to assess various advancements across campus that will enhance our ability to assist with crime reporting as well as safety measures that will benefit our students and staff.”

Many of the cameras are equipped with enhanced facial recognition, license plate readers, and advanced screening and detection capabilities. These high-tech features can help identify suspicious individuals in large crowds and track down stolen vehicles or vehicles that were reported at a crime scene.

The Avigilon cameras, costing roughly $1,000 each, come in a variety of sizes and functions. Some have fisheye 360-degree views, others have 180-degree views, and many can be angled and controlled by a computer. Each blue light box is equipped with one of these cameras.

“The investment is not blind; we aren’t just throwing cameras all over the place,” Tinsley said. “There’s a comprehensive evaluation process for every area of campus to make sure we check all our boxes. The cameras are designed to give us more than one functionality. They are small, compact, and very good at what they do.”

All five divisions in OSPS are playing a role in the camera project: Liberty University Police Department (LUPD), Emergency Management & Community Engagement (EMCE), Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), Access Control (AC), and Quality Control & Assessment (QCA).

Tinsley said the camera initiative has been the most extensive upgrade of all the robust campuswide safety and security projects in recent years.

Liberty University has spent over $10 million in the last two years on significant advancements that ensure the safety and well-being of students, faculty, and staff, and recently committed to spending an additional $2 million on new initiatives related to campus safety and security.

Tinsley said the students themselves were involved in the planning. Liberty staff did an initial assessment from a list provided mostly by the Student Government Association (SGA) and narrowed it down to approved projects that will impact much of the campus community positively.

The effort has broadened in scope to include additional safety measures such as upgraded electric scooter and skateboard locks, ballistic laminate, improved campuswide lighting, enhanced crime reporting software, and the new Champion Safe app that fully integrates safety and security features, such as a mobile blue light, campus maps, emergency plans, emergency contacts, support resources, training resources, and reporting functions.