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Office of Public Safety Strategic Plan
2025-2030

Advancing safety, trust and resilience across our university community

 

EXPLORE THE PILLARS

 

Steve in a navy suit against a window backdrop

Message from the Chief Safety Officer

To our campus community:

The development of this strategic plan is grounded in sustained engagement with the University of Arizona community. What we heard was clear. Safety at the University of Arizona must be visible, collaborative and continuously improving. It must reflect the complexity of a large, public, land-grant institution while remaining responsive to the lived experiences of those who learn, work and visit here.

This plan reflects that input. It establishes a framework for how the Office of Public Safety will strengthen our systems, partnerships and capabilities to support a safe and resilient campus environment. It is designed to guide our work across prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery, while reinforcing the shared responsibility for safety across the university.

Public safety is not the work of a single department. It is a collective effort. We carry forward the responsibility that shaped the creation of the Office of Public Safety, guided by the principles of the Oath for Tom, which continue to inform our commitment to prevention, care and accountability. Through this plan, we are committed to continuing to listen, adapt and lead in ways that build trust, enhance coordination, and support the University of Arizona’s mission.

I invite you to read through the pillar framework and goals on this page. The Office of Public Safety welcomes your questions and suggestions for future safety initiatives. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our campus and community safe.

Steve Patterson
Chief Safety Officer

Vision

Our vision is to be a national model for integrated campus safety, fostering trust, innovation, and resilience to support the University of Arizona’s role as a force for good in Arizona and beyond.

Plan Overview

Informed by community engagement

Since OPS was established in 2023, the team has conducted two university-wide safety surveys; held listening sessions with students, faculty and staff; and engaged regularly with the Campus Safety Commission, faculty leaders, student government, and operational partners.

These efforts, along with ongoing day-to-day conversations, have provided critical insight into the safety needs, concerns and expectations of our community.

Aligned with strategic imperatives

Each pillar connects directly to the university's strategic imperatives, ensuring that safety remains a foundation for student success, research and innovation, and our mission as a land-grant institution.

  • Success for Every Student 
  • Research that Shapes the Future 
  • Engagement with Our Communities to Create Opportunity

Grounded in accountability

The Office of Public Safety’s success depends on disciplined execution, transparent measurement, and organizational accountability. Each goal in this plan includes defined KPIs for the project lead.

Progress toward these goals will be actively assessed across all OPS divisions, informing an Annual Report and a Biennial Safety, Trust and Resilience Report.

Strategic Plan Pillars

The Office of Public Safety’s Strategic Plan is organized around four interconnected pillars that define how we fulfill our mission and contribute to the university’s broader vision. These pillars represent not only what we do, but how we do it, through community partnership, innovation, preparedness, and excellence in service. Together, they form the framework that informs our culture and ensures that our efforts serve our students, community and state.

Click a pillar card and scroll down to find details about each pillar.

Culture of Safety

Fostering shared responsibility and trust across our campus community 

The Culture of Safety pillar emphasizes that safety is not a single program or department, but a shared responsibility that unites every member of the University of Arizona community. Rooted in education, transparency and collaboration, this pillar reflects our belief that true safety grows from trust and collective ownership. Our focus is not just on preventing harm but on cultivating a sense of shared pride and confidence in the safety systems that protect our university.

We aim to build a culture where students, faculty and staff understand their role in maintaining a secure, inclusive and caring environment. This requires consistent outreach, open communication and visible partnerships between the Office of Public Safety, campus leadership and the greater community. Through engagement and education, OPS will ensure that safety becomes part of the Wildcat identity, a value woven into the daily experience of learning, discovery and service.

1. Promote campus community ownership for safety.

Empower all members of the campus to take part in a shared culture of safety through awareness campaigns, training and opportunities for engagement.

2. Strengthen partnerships across the university and community.

Foster cross-campus and external collaborations to enhance safety education, shared responsibility and outreach.

3. Increase campus engagement and visibility of safety programs.

Expand OPS presence and accessibility across campus through outreach, education and direct support to departments and student organizations.

The Culture of Safety pillar directly supports this imperative by working to provide a learning environment that is physically secure, emotionally supportive, and grounded in trust and mutual respect. OPS promotes belonging and wellbeing as essential components of academic and personal success, key elements of the Wildcat experience.

Innovation and Integrated Safety Infrastructure

Advancing safety through smart technology, protective infrastructure, and data-driven insight

The Innovation and Integrated Safety Infrastructure pillar focuses on unifying technology, data and people to create a safer, more resilient university. It establishes a connected safety ecosystem that brings together prevention, response and continuous learning in a way that is coordinated and transparent.

OPS is committed to the responsible use of technology. Our approach is grounded in ethics, compliance and accountability, ensuring that the collection, protection and use of information are clear and understood.

By integrating systems and leveraging data in meaningful ways, we strengthen our ability to respond to emerging risks and support informed decision-making. Through intentional design, open communication and ethical data practices, OPS strengthens trust while improving safety outcomes.

1. Enhance real-time safety infrastructure technology.

Advance the integration and optimization of campus safety technologies to improve situational awareness, emergency response and communication with the community.

2. Simplify and standardize campus mapping and data systems. 

Centralize and harmonize campus safety data and mapping systems to create a single authoritative, accessible and user-focused interface.

3. Develop a data-driven safety infrastructure dashboard.

Create a transparent, research-informed dashboard integrating internal and external datasets to improve situational awareness, decision-making and public engagement.

The Innovation and Integrated Safety Infrastructure pillar embodies this imperative by demonstrating that innovation and integrity are inseparable. By integrating evidence-based technology with responsible governance, OPS reinforces the university’s role as a global leader in research, discovery and the ethical application of knowledge. Every innovation we adopt is a commitment to safety.

Crisis Readiness and Recovery

Preparing, responding, and recovering with confidence, care and coordination

The Crisis Readiness and Recovery pillar strengthens the university’s capacity to anticipate, manage and recover from emergencies and critical incidents.

OPS leads this effort through a unified approach that integrates planning, training, exercises, and after-action learning. By coordinating across departments, campuses and community partners, we ensure that response efforts are clear, roles are defined, and recovery begins the moment an incident ends. This shared readiness allows the university to continue its mission even in the face of disruption.

Every plan and every exercise reinforces trust and strengthens coordination across our campus ecosystem. By learning from experience and planning for the future, OPS ensures that readiness is not just a response capability, it is a university mindset.

1. Identify and develop clear crisis response and recovery protocols

Strengthen institutional preparedness through unified plans, coordinated leadership and consistent communication.

2. Train the campus community on crisis response and recovery processes

Build a campus culture of readiness through education, training and simulation exercises that clarify roles and responsibilities.

3. Develop a comprehensive campus recovery strategy 

Institutionalize recovery as a core phase of emergency management to ensure continuous improvement and organizational resilience.

The Crisis Readiness and Recovery pillar reflects this imperative by advancing a community-centered model of preparedness that extends beyond the campus.

OPS works hand-in-hand with regional first responders, local governments and public health partners to strengthen resilience across Arizona. This approach ensures that the university not only responds to crises but also contributes meaningfully to the state’s overall safety and recovery capacity.

This pillar embodies the university’s role as a keystone institution for Arizona, one that sustains its people, purpose and promise, even amid uncertainty.

Organizational Excellence

Investing in people, partnerships and performance to advance public safety leadership

The Organizational Excellence pillar is the backbone of sustainable safety. It focuses on the people and partnerships that make safety possible. Excellence begins with those who serve, and OPS is committed to investing in the growth, wellbeing and capability of every team member. By fostering a culture of integrity, inclusion and continuous improvement, OPS ensures that its workforce is as dynamic and resilient as the community it protects.

Through strategic hiring, professional development and strong cross-campus partnerships, this pillar builds capacity for long-term success. Organizational Excellence also reflects our responsibility as a learning organization, one that embraces accountability, welcomes innovation and measures progress through collaboration and results. This pillar reinforces that safety is not simply a function, it is a collective commitment.

1. Build and maintain strategic partnerships

Strengthen collaboration across campus and with the surrounding community to advance public safety and enhance mutual support.

2. Attract, hire and retain quality personnel

Build a diverse, skilled and committed workforce that reflects the university’s values and the community it serves.

3. Develop a skilled and prepared workforce

Provide continuous opportunities for professional growth, training and wellbeing to ensure readiness and long-term excellence.

The Organizational Excellence pillar underpins all the university’s strategic imperatives by focusing on the people and partnerships that enable success. OPS employees embody university values through professionalism, empathy and collaboration. By developing leaders, advancing inclusion and fostering a supportive work environment, OPS strengthens its ability to deliver exceptional service to students, faculty, staff and the broader Arizona community.