Azusa Pacific University is dedicated to ensuring the wellbeing of all its students, faculty, and staff, and a key resource for students is Campus Safety. Located in Smith Hall and across from Adams Hall and Lot A, Section Three, the department is easily accessible for students in person and via the Safe APU app. Walking around campus, you’ll often see Campus Safety officers interacting with students and responding to calls when necessary, but the department has many useful resources for students outside of emergency situations as well.
Since 2020, Campus Safety has been a hybrid department comprised of both armed and unarmed officers with a diverse range of backgrounds including retired law enforcement officers and students preparing for careers in law enforcement. Ryan D’Angelo, MPA ’25 serves as the assistant director for the Department of Campus Safety. His dedication to keeping the APU community safe has spurred his active involvement with the student population and a desire to increase community outreach efforts.
With a variety of changes on campus this year, Campus Safety has partnered with the Rez Life team in their liaison program to account for the increase in students living in the dorms and mods. “We’ve designated officers to each housing area and keep in close contact with the area directors and graduate coordinators so that we know who to contact when working collaboratively,” D’Angelo said. “Every year, we coordinate training scenarios in conjunction with the resident advisors (RAs) so that we are both on the same page and can foster genuine connections between our departments.”
The Department of Campus Safety is also working collaboratively with the university's Design and Construction team to implement additional safety measures including a brand new perimeter fencing project around East Campus. The project will be implemented in phases, with Phase One being the Shire Mods area to the baseball field. This project coincides with the installation of additional security cameras and license plate readers as well as officers’ reinstated presence in the University Drive entrance booth. The department also has a longstanding connection with the Azusa Police Department (AzPD). Both departments benefit from mutual aid in emergencies, and they have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing AzPD to utilize the Segerstrom Science Center roof for their drone program which provides additional security.
No matter how long you’ve been on campus, the Safe APU app is a must have resource for all students. The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store and provides students with a wide range of safety tools all in the palm of their hand. The app’s mobile blue light feature enables students to directly connect with a dispatcher, providing their location so that officers can respond immediately in case of an emergency. The “California Earthquake I’m Ok” feature can also be activated to notify a student’s emergency contact that they’re safe in situations such as an earthquake even if cell service is unavailable. The app also provides a direct line to request an after-hours safety escort service from campus safety officers after the trolley operating hours have concluded. If students elect to walk by themselves at any point, they can activate the Friend Walk feature. This feature enables students to share their location with an emergency contact until they reach their destination. Other features on the app include an anonymous tip line, emergency plans, parking information, and maps.
Campus Safety’s Rape Agression Defense (RAD) class held each semester is a popular program within the university community. RAD focuses on crime prevention awareness and risk reduction strategies to empower students as they learn to live on their own for the first time, often in a new area. The 12 hour program is conducted over multiple days featuring a mix of lecture style information and self defense practice with Campus Safety officers. On the last day of the class, students have the chance to practice what they’ve learned through simulations. “It’s amazing to see the transformation from day one where students are shy to day three where there’s that boost of self confidence entering into the scenarios,” D’Angelo said. “It’s a very empowering moment for students, and we love to see them encouraging each other.” The program aims to expand its instructors to those within Emergency Preparedness and the APU Community Counseling Center, providing students with knowledge about additional resources on campus.
What makes APU’s Department of Campus Safety unique is their commitment to fostering a sense of community and providing mentorship opportunities to students. At the beginning of both day and night shifts, Campus Safety officers conduct team briefings to discuss crucial safety related information which always concludes with a word of prayer for APU’s students. “We pray for students as a part of our briefing, and we think about ways we can improve not just responding to calls, but how we can impart words of God’s wisdom and faith based principles into the various calls we respond to,” D’Angelo said.
Inspiration and mentorship are exhibited by Campus Safety’s Student Representative (CSR) program, which offers students interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement the opportunity to experience the job through hands-on training. “We have had the honor of developing many student workers up to the point of graduation and writing letters of recommendation,” D’Angelo said. “Many have gone on to work for various law enforcement agencies across the country.”
As the department strengthens its internal connections, it also partners with other departments on campus to become better trained in best practices and prepare for any potential situations that may arise. Over the summer, they partnered with the Department of Criminal Justice which provided officers with additional Title IX training about crimes and violence against women. “Any training opportunities we can use to expand our understanding about how to handle calls are important to us,” D’Angelo said. “We have shift briefings everyday so that we’re always thinking about how to improve our responsiveness and connection to the community.”
As the new school year progresses, be on the look out for opportunities to connect with the Campus Safety team as D’Angelo and the rest of the department enhance their community outreach efforts. “We want to get creative this year with events like Coffee with a Cop or Trolley Talk Tuesday where an officer will ride on the trolley and just talk to students and be available to let them know about various resources on campus,” he said. “We really want students to get to know us so that if they ever need us, we already have that personal connection.” Students are also encouraged to follow @apucampussafety on Instagram and APU Campus Safety on Facebook to stay up to date with important information and outreach opportunities. The department can also be reached 24/7 over the phone at (626) 815-5000.