The St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) Office of Public Safety has received a $375,000 grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) under the Campus Safety Grant initiative proposed by Governor Wes Moore in his FY 2025 budget for the State of Maryland.
Maryland colleges and universities submitted 39 applications, totaling over $56 million in grant requests to the commission. SMCM was fortunate to have been one of the applicants approved for a total of $18.75 million in available funds. SMCM Director of Public Safety Felix Martinez, Ed.D. prepared the grant proposal with assistance from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
“Receiving this grant is a critical step in advancing our comprehensive student safety goals at St. Mary’s College. With these funds, we’ll be able to significantly enhance campus security by expanding our camera systems, upgrading swipe card door access, improving lighting across the campus, and equipping newly hired officers with body cameras,” said Martinez. “Each of these initiatives reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safer and more secure environment for our students, faculty and staff, while also increasing transparency and accountability. This funding allows us to continue evolving our public safety measures to meet the needs of our growing campus community.”
The grant will help fund initiatives already in progress that were previously identified in the comprehensive campus safety and security review conducted in 2022. Specifically, the funding will help the College complete its “Lights, Camera, Action” initiative in three major areas:
- Continued procurement and installation of additional lighting fixtures in high-traffic areas, parking lots and other outdoor spaces
- Installation of additional outdoor surveillance cameras and support for body camera acquisition and employment by SMCM public safety officers
- Procurement and installation of additional card access systems to restrict open access
“The successful collaboration across departments was instrumental in securing this critical funding for St. Mary’s College. These efforts will significantly advance the mission of our Public Safety Office, safeguarding excellence at our institution and securing tomorrows of our entire campus community,” said Leslie Mangold, director of research and sponsored programs. “We are extremely grateful for the Maryland Higher Education Commission's support of our initiatives.” Mangold also credited Lauren Sampson, major gifts development officer with Institutional Advancement’s Office of Development for her assistance in preparing the College’s grant submission.
The “Lights, Camera, Action” initiative is part of the College’s ongoing rollout of a new campus safety model that began implementation in August 2023.
