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Head shot of Chief of University Police Jeffrey D. Besong in uniform.Jeffrey Besong, vice president of public safety and chief of police at Point Park University, was named a finalist and, ultimately, runner-up for 2017 Campus Safety Director of the Year.

Besong was recognized for outstanding achievement and leadership in higher education public safety, and received his award July 13 at the Campus Safety Conference East in Philadelphia.

Campus Safety Magazine, the creator and operator of the program, honored Besong for his many notable achievements at Point Park, including:

  • Overseeing the creation of the University's Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Confront and Evacuate (ALICE) program
  • Supervising the upgrade of a campus-wide security camera system
  • Establishing SafeZone, which provides training to faculty, staff and students on becoming allies to the LGBTQ community
  • Shepherding the use of body-worn cameras for all officers, making Point Park among the first departments in the entire state to do so
  • Equipping officers with Narcan, a heroin antidote

This year marked the 10th anniversary for Campus Safety Director of the Year, a national awards program that garners nominees from all over the country. This year's finalists hailed from numerous other states, including California, Alabama, New York, Missouri, Michigan, Nevada, Nebraska, Minnesota and South Carolina. The finalists are chosen among professionals from health care, school and university public safety, security and emergency management.