SUNO ranked #1 in campus safety among La. universities

For the second year in a row, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) has been ranked #1 in campus safety with a 98.18 safety rating among Louisiana colleges and universities by StateUniversity.com. The university is ranked #19 in the U.S. by the website, up from 20th in 2009. The campus safety report is based on incidents reported by campus safety officials.

SUNO recorded 0.38 burglaries and 2.27 larceny-theft incidents per 1,000 students. Other categories considered were aggravated assault, arson, forcible rape, murder, robbery and vehicle theft. According to StateUniversity.com, “colleges and universities ranked for campus safety on a scale that accounts for severity of a crime as well as frequency of crime.”

SUNO is the highest-ranked HBCU in America.

SUNO Police Chief Ira Thomas says that reorganization of the SUNO Police Department, enhanced technology, and training for officers have all contributed to the university’s continued progress.

This article originally published in the June 13, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.