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By Robert Kelly Goss, ECSU

Elizabeth City State University has received a grant for $35,000 from the Governor’s Crime Commission, according to University Campus Police Chief John Manley. Focused on campus safety, the grant will support the campus police.

According to Chief Manley, the current cultural environment across the country and on university campuses has caused ECSU’s University Police to increase its preparedness in the event of emergencies. With protests across UNC System campuses, as well as the shooter incident at UNC Charlotte, it is important now more than ever to be prepared. We need to be pro-active and establish protocols to address situations as they arise, said Manley.

“ECSU sought this grant to fund Personal Protective Equipment to include 25 ballistic vests to outfit every police and security officer, 20 body cameras to outfit the remaining police and security officers, ammunition, pepper spray and three in-car 800 MHz radios,” said Manley. “Elizabeth City State University Police will continue to work with other UNC System schools during protests as well as the Elizabeth City Police Department and Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office.”

The goals of the grant, he said, are to ensure the safety of ECSU first responders in the event of violence on campus and to ensure means of greater communications and “capturing evidence during encounters with the public.”

Although the ECSU campus has not seen protests and there have been no incidents of violence on campus in recent years, with the purchase of the new equipment, Manley says the University Police can maintain the ongoing safety of students, staff and faculty.

“ECSU will continue to evaluate the safety needs of the campus and plan accordingly,” said Manley.

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