Butler University implements cutting-edge unified security platform

STANLEY Security provides solution to integrate all existing campus security technologies into a single portal

Butler University is a private college with 32 campus buildings occupying approximately 290 acres in Indianapolis, Indiana, with just over 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled. Founded in 1855, Butler University focuses on providing students and faculty members with a distinguished, academic campus environment.

“We’re in the 12th largest city in the nation, so we do have security concerns,” says Benjamin Hunter, chief of staff and executive director of public safety. “We want to make sure our students and faculty members are safe, so we don’t detract from our primary purpose to cultivate an exceptional learning environment.” To maintain a safe and secure campus, Butler University implemented numerous security technologies, including access control, video surveillance, fire alarm systems, intrusion detection and emergency notification.

All of the systems were disparate from one another, and the university’s lead dispatch team was tasked with monitoring each interface manually. None of the technologies could readily communicate with each other, making it challenging for operators to review all essential data needed when issues arose on campus. “When monitoring, our dispatchers had to manually bring up each of these systems on multiple screens, working with multiple software programs, some even with multiple log-ins,” Hunter says. “When our dispatch team is in a situation where they have to communicate critical information, or have to put the campus on lockdown, and are trying to monitor all of these disparate technologies at the same time, it could be difficult. It was important for us to find one user interface and security system that was user-friendly and reliable.” To reduce this complexity and improve the efficiency of campus security operations, Butler University turned to the expertise of STANLEY Security.

STANLEY Security is a leading global manufacturer and integrator of comprehensive intrusion detection systems, fire alarms, video surveillance, access control, monitoring applications, mass notification, door hardware, automatic entrances and more, and provides security solutions for over 2,500 colleges and universities across North America. STANLEY recommended its Campus Commander Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) system, a comprehensive solution with the capability to unite all of Butler University’s existing technologies together into a single, fully integrated portal. This scalable, customized platform utilizes a single graphical user interface to bridge the gaps and disconnects that exist between legacy technology and communication protocols to enable the university to utilize existing investments.

“We’re able to view the operations of all our technologies on a single interface—whether it’s our key control access, our door locks or our cameras. We were also able to integrate our mass notification system, which is a crucial element to public safety on campus,” Hunter says. STANLEY’s solution provides instant access to actionable information from each existing system for faster response times, and enables dispatchers to make well-informed decisions with all security information and control at their fingertips. The interface is software agnostic and easy to use, which is vital to the operational efficiency and safety of responding university law enforcement whenever an incident arises. “Matters of campus security often come down to making split-second decisions, and Campus Commander PSIM offers an effective solution for our dispatch teams to monitor and react to an incident efficiently,” Hunter says.

“We take our safety and security measures very seriously. Campus Commander helps us to better ensure that every student, staff member and visitor at Butler University’s campus will enjoy a safe, first-class education environment.”

For more information, or to see a video of Butler University’s solution in action, visit www.stanleycss.com/highered

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