The Texas State Campus Safety Committee discussed new measures for the University Police Department (UPD) following a recent grant for increased downtown police presence.
The meeting took place on Tuesday, March 3 in the Pecan Building, and discussed a wide array of topics including Bobcat Safe Rides statistics, reopening of roads and new measures taken by the UPD including details of the recent partnership with SMPD.
The Committee initially discussed safety projects on campus like Project Overwatch, that would use student employees, working as public safety officers, to create an active monitoring system using over 900 campus cameras.
“What this gives us now is someone who at certain hours of the day, and higher priority cameras, is able to watch in real time our security system,” UPD Chief of Police Matthew Carmichael said. “Should a urgent call come out, or a critical call that our officers are responding to, instead of the dispatcher or dispatchers having to manipulate the cameras at the same time the cool part is our student is right there at the console [to give real time feedback].”
Carmichael said that the system was on the way to be available 24/7 as UPD continues to hire more students.
Additionally, the meeting showed statistics for Bobcat Safe Rides, and Code Maroon Ride programs, programs providing rides to students for a means of transportation and in the case of emergency. According to the presentation shown at the meeting, there have been 21,551 Safe Rides since the onset of the 2025-2026 academic year, for casual transportation, and 20 total Code Maroon Rides, for emergency transportation.
Carmichael said that for students, drinking alcohol and requesting a ride was not an issue.
“The University does have an alcohol and drug, as well as hazing amnesty policy.” Valerie Holmes, Dean of Students said.
The meeting ended discussing safety measures put into the downtown Square and Sewell Park. Carmichael said that Texas State provided a one-time funding support for SMPD to station more officers downtown.
“It’s beyond what we do everyday, I mean, we’re very good partners [with SMPD. We will] support the city when they need it, and if we need support, they’ll come immediately for us,” Carmichael said.
Carmichael finished the agenda by discussing the implementation of new cameras to Sewell Park. He stated that UPD did not have adequate vision on the park with an increase in traffic, and the cameras would provide more security.
The cameras are set to be taken down during RiverFest, a end of year celebration in Sewell Park set to end in April, according to Texas State Student Involvement and Engagement.
