A report released this fall demonstrates that Biola University’s campus remains one of the safest districts in the city of La Mirada — which itself boasts some of the lowest crime rates in Los Angeles County. Criminal offenses on campus have remained low to nonexistent across most categories over the past three years, according to the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report issued by Biola’s Department of Campus Safety.

“The Department of Campus Safety takes great pride in doing its best to ensure that the Biola community is safe,” said John Ojeisekhoba, chief of Campus Safety. "It's our mission to continue to provide a safe and secure environment for the Biola students, staff, faculty and visitors by implementing proactive strategies on a daily basis."

Ojeisekhoba attributes the minimal amount of criminal activity in part to the consistent work of his department to stay informed, be prepared and make every effort to anticipate problems before they happen. With 24-hour security and surveillance in place seven days a week, 365 days a year, officers are able to respond quickly to any situation, he said. Officers patrol campus on foot as well as using vehicles, bicycles and T3 Patrollers to mobilize their vigilance.

Biola also helps to ensure safety through a mass notification system that quickly communicates urgent safety and emergency updates via text and voice messages to the campus community and educates students on how to prevent accidents.

Additionally, Campus Safety ensures that every officer receives training from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and from the Community Emergency Response Team Program, with regular development opportunities offered on an annual basis, Ojeisekhoba said.

A disaster drill held on Oct. 11, which allowed officials across the university to practice how to respond to a natural disaster, is one of the many ways Campus Safety continues to improve preparedness on campus, Ojeisekhoba said. As part of Biola’s proactive strategy, a university Emergency Response Team, which participated in the detailed drill, remains constantly on-call to manage and react to major situations on campus with storage units containing disaster supplies.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report explains in detail services provided, safety codes, security procedures, emergency contact information, university rules and crime-prevention tactics. The security report also includes campus crime statistics from the past three years. Copies of this year’s report can now be viewed and downloaded online or obtained by contacting the department.

Written by Jessica Airey, Media Relations Intern. For more information, contact Jenna Bartlo, Media Relations Coordinator, at 562.777.4061 or at jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.