Parents donate 10,000 towards campus safety

An East Carolina University parents group has donated $10,000 toward the new campus safety department.

The grant from ECU’s Parents Council will support safety workshops, forums and other events sponsored by the department.

“We are very excited and happy to help underwrite training for this important addition to our campus,” said Charlie Martin, Parents Council president. “Being proactive in developing campus crime prevention programs and safety workshops is one of our best protections against crime.”

Part of the Division of Student Life, the campus safety department aims to augment the role of ECU Police Department and is one of the university’s latest steps to proactively approach safety issues on campus. The department has three full-time employees: Capt. J.P. Smith, Amy Davis and Annette Parker. Smith, who has been reassigned from the ECU Police Department, will serve as director of Campus Safety. Davis, a crime prevention sergeant, and Parker, an administrative assistant, are also part of the department. The campus safety department began operation in March and is temporarily located in Aycock Residence Hall on College Hill. The office will move to Garrett Residence Hall with the completion of renovations this summer.

The Parents Council has been in existence for more than 15 years, supporting a variety of campus projects.