Advisers

Irene D. Gaviola, MSCJ

Discipline

Criminology

Abstract

Campus security has become an increasingly significant concern for educational institutions, particularly in maintaining a safe and conducive environment for both students and staff. In response, many schools and colleges have sought to strengthen their security measures through various strategies. This study aimed to assess the role of criminology interns in enhancing campus security at Bestlink College of the Philippines, specifically within its Millionaires Village campus in Novaliches, Quezon City. The research seeks to determine how the involvement of criminology interns contributes to overall safety and supports the institution’s security objectives. The study involved respondents from various sectors of the school community, including students, employees, and administrators. To ensure the representativeness of the sample, the researchers used a probability sampling technique through simple random sampling. Data collection was conducted using unstructured interviews to obtain in-depth qualitative insights, alongside a structured questionnaire aimed at capturing respondents' demographic profiles and their specific concerns regarding campus security. The findings revealed positive assessments of the role of criminology interns in various aspects of campus security. These include regular evaluation and feedback (mean score: 3.248), inter-agency collaboration (3.14), implementation of policies, rules, and regulations (3.241), patrol and surveillance (3.158), incident reporting (3.181), and security protocol assessment and review (3.098). Despite these favorable results, the study identified a key issue—the lack of clear guidelines defining the roles and responsibilities of criminology interns, which may limit their effectiveness and contribution to campus safety efforts. The findings, researchers proposed an action plan aimed at enhancing the role of criminology interns in campus security. This includes conducting comprehensive training programs covering critical areas such as campus layout orientation, emergency response protocols, operation of security technologies (e.g., CCTV and access control systems), and applicable laws and regulations. the following recommendations are made: The institution should establish and distribute clear role descriptions for criminology interns to define their duties and responsibilities effectively. Students and staff should be routinely updated on campus security measures to ensure collective awareness and participation. School administrators should commit to regularly reviewing and updating security policies, ensuring alignment with evolving threats and technological advancements. Criminology interns are encouraged to proactively seek guidance on their responsibilities to perform their roles with greater clarity and confidence. Future studies should aim to assess the long-term impact of criminology interns on crime prevention and campus safety, while continuously evaluating the effectiveness of their involvement.

Keywords

campus security, bestlink college, criminology interns, security policies, campus crime prevention, role clarification