Most respondents say they feel safe on campus and that the department’s employees are courteous, respectful, and attentive.
Data repeatedly shows that the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is a safe place to live, learn, and work. Now, results from the 2026 Public Safety survey show that respondents overwhelmingly say they feel safe on campus.
The survey was sent Universitywide between April 28 and May 31. More than 700 people responded. The survey was last conducted in 2022.
Of those who work on campus, 85 percent reported feeling very safe or somewhat safe between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Respondents reported feeling 22 percent safer in 2026 than they did in 2022. In the evening hours, respondents felt 33 percent safer. (Figure 1)
“For our community to thrive, they can’t just be safe. They have to feel safe,” said Thomas Leone, MSL, assistant vice president for public safety and chief of police. “We know crime remains low on campus, but if our community’s perception doesn’t reflect that, then we still have work to do. I’m encouraged to see our efforts are having a positive impact.”
Having highly visible police and security officers helps improve that feeling of safety. Police officers and security officers are 21 percent and 30 percent more visible, respectively, in 2026 than 2022 (Figure 2), according to the survey. The department uses data-driven policing strategies to ensure that officers are in the right places to respond to and even prevent crime.
“Our community sometimes asks for more permanent booths for our officers, but that just lets would-be criminals know where our officers are — and where they’re not,” Leone said. “We’re constantly evaluating the best, most effective posts for our team so they can be effective.”
Forty-three percent of respondents said that further increasing police visibility would make them feel safer. Twenty-eight percent want increased security officer visibility.
Providing Excellent Customer Service
In line with the Administration and Finance department’s guiding principle of service excellence, UMB Police and Public Safety added more customer service-focused questions to this year’s survey. On average, 85 percent said public safety employees are courteous, respectful, and attentive most of the time (Figure 3). More than 90 percent of respondents described the department as professional, responsive, helpful, approachable, respectful, and trustworthy.
“I want us to earn 100 percent on our next survey!” Leone joked. “Every interaction with our community counts, and we want every interaction to be a professional and positive experience.”
The department is in the planning stages of a multiyear customer service initiative focused on improved training and expectations across the department. Employee well-being is an important part of the initiative.
“Our work can be challenging. We often encounter people on their worst day,” Leone said. “We want our team to have the resources they need to be their best selves — emotionally, mentally, physically — so they can be successful.”
The department also plans to improve its Safe Ride service in the coming month. More than 30,000 rides are requested each year, stretching the department’s two-van capacity to the limit. In January, more vans will be added to reduce wait times. A new phone app also will provide more accurate wait times and allow riders to provide feedback on their experience. A new name for the Safe Ride service will be announced in January.
“Our students and employees deserve world-class service,” Leone said. “We’ve made great progress, but we’ve got a long way to go. We’re going to keep striving every day toward that goal.”