Partnering for a Safe and Welcoming Community
A Community Campus: Why We Share Safety Responsibilities
Many residential colleges in Pennsylvania, like Bryn Mawr College, sit in the middle of residential neighborhoods, with public streets, sidewalks, and sometimes even city‑owned property running through or alongside campus. Because of this, local police are key partners in ensuring safety, providing emergency response to 911 calls on or around campus, and supporting our community by patrolling campus as needed, even when the college also has its own campus safety department.
Bryn Mawr College is part of our surrounding residential neighborhood in Bryn Mawr, Pa, and the local Lower Merion Police Department shares legal responsibility with our Campus Safety office for security, emergency response, and law enforcement on campus and in the surrounding area.
Our Working Partnership with the Lower Merion Police
Our relationship with the Lower Merion Police Department is a strong, established working partnership. Our understanding ensures that serious incidents are handled expertly by sworn law enforcement officers, while our dedicated Campus Safety staff provides essential support, follow-up, and community care.
Routine Ways Local Police Support Our Campus
On a typical day, local officers may be on campus for several routine and planned reasons, not just emergencies.
Common examples may include:
- Providing visible support for the community during major events (like move-in, athletic contests, or large social gatherings) to ensure smooth traffic flow and neighborhood peace.
- Assisting campus safety with situations that require sworn police powers, such as serious assaults, weapons complaints, missing persons, or threats to life.
- Responding to 911 calls, medical emergencies, or reports of a possible crime or disturbance in or near campus housing, parking lots, or public streets that cross campus.
Photo Credit: By Ii2nmd - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=117473943
Our Joint Focus: Keeping Our Whole Community Safe
For an open, residential campus like Bryn Mawr College, the goal of this joint presence is to maintain both the campus and the surrounding neighborhood's safety. This vital partnership is built on core principles of de-escalation, fair treatment, and a shared commitment to addressing minor student conduct through college processes first, avoiding unnecessary criminalization.
The Value of Collaboration: A Safer Environment for Everyone
When campus safety and local police collaborate and coordinate responses, emergencies are handled more quickly and effectively, especially those that extend beyond campus property lines.
This consistent collaboration ensures better, faster emergency response and a unified safety message, fostering a welcoming, secure, and supportive environment for every student, staff or faculty member, visitor, and neighbor of Bryn Mawr College.
Contact Us
Campus Safety Department
John Maloney Memorial Building
Phone: (610) 526-7911
Lil Burroughs
Executive Director, Campus Safety