Safety priority

The University community — students, administration and public safety — came together after a Nov. 1 shooting in the student neighborhood to discuss additional ways to support student safety.

The Dayton Police Department arrested one adult and five minors in connection with the shooting, none of them UD students. One student sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

“Students at the ground level are having really in-depth and deep conversations about what it means to be safe in the neighborhood, and to feel a sense of belonging,”

said Stuart Schramm, senior international studies and political science major and president of the Student Government Association.

SGA convened town halls, and students voiced concerns and offered suggestions in meetings with UD’s leadership. Students from Black Action Through Unity, in response to hateful and racist comments posted on an anonymous social media platform after the shooting outside their student house, invited the community to join a campus and neighborhood march and pray for unity.

“They want a safer environment, and they want to know how the University is going to help them get that,” said Savalas Kidd, associate vice president of public safety and chief safety officer. He said universities across the nation are dealing with more serious crimes often committed by individuals from outside of campus, some of whom travel great distances to attend parties they find on social media.

In one example of a partnership solution, UD Public Safety and the Dayton Police Department are looking to increase police presence and erect temporary barriers to make it harder for off-campus actors to attend large neighborhood events, like St. Patrick’s Day. In an example of University-student partnership, students are now able to install doorbell cameras on their houses and connect them to campus Wi-Fi.

SGA Vice President Kaylee Ballard, a senior criminal justice major, noted a shift in student perception — that public safety is there for protection, not to stifle fun. She said safety is also about taking personal responsibility by being aware of surroundings, knowing how to call for help and taking practical measures like locking doors.

Students can also be voices for safety. Casey Gill, vice president for student development and chief student experience officer, is looking to improve the impact of messages coming from her office by partnering with students, as recommended by a senior-level communication course.

Kidd said he’s heard from some students that their college experience has been compromised by the violent actions of Nov. 1 — and he’s working to help them take it back.

“Students are extremely motivated for change — in partnership,” he said, creating community-led solutions to serve all those living in community."

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A version of this article appears in print in the Spring 2026 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 13. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE