The University of Kentucky’s police department is rolling out a multitude of new safety programs starting this fall semester.
UKPD Police Chief Joe Monroe said he’s looking to improve the department’s visibility on campus.
“Parents drop their kids off here for the first time, away from home. And so they’re focused on what, their safety. That is the number one thing, and their education. And with that, they’re very concerned about the safety programs we have,” he said.
That mostly comes in the form of technological upgrades. The department is installing more security cameras in residence halls and new lighting installations on campus. But it’s also launching a new campus safety app for students, and starting a new drone program.
UK Police Chief Joe Monroe said the drones are meant to speed up emergency response times.
“The average response time for UK Police is under two minutes. With the drones, it'll help speed it up as well and let the officer know exactly what they're going to,” he said.
Monroe said they’ll only be in operation in public areas and some sensitive areas where security is a concern.
“There’s discussions about that, you know, where is the balance. If I’m walking down the street, anyone can be filming me from a car or on a park bench, because I have no right to privacy… We’re not dropping a drone down into anybody’s backyard or anything like that,” Monroe said.
Monroe said most of its focus will be on the north side of campus, near the bar district. They’re working with the Lexington Police Department to add more checkpoints there and address underage drinking.
