The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has been awarded a $750,000 grant to upgrade campus safety.
The funding, allocated by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), was provided through the State of Maryland’s fiscal year 2025 budget, and allows colleges and universities in the state to “enhance and further refine the safety and security measures on campuses.”
Chief Mark Tyler, UMES’s director of Public Safety, said the department constantly looks for grants through the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, so when the opportunity to apply for MHEC funding for the first time came to his attention, it was one the department jumped at without hesitation.
“It was just a point of meeting all the bullet points that MHEC was looking for and putting together a good picture of what our needs are here at the university,” Tyler said.
With the funding, the public safety department will look to add access control for buildings and cameras for campus areas that lack surveillance. The funds, which expire June 30, 2025, can only be used towards equipment and security enhancements for the campus with the UMES Department of Information Technology to advocate for the new access control and increased surveillance equipment.
The installation of new cameras will provide additional or expanded coverage of campus that had minimal or no security coverage.
For access control, card readers – similar to those in the Engineering and Aviation Sciences Complex and the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions buildings – will also be installed. Tyler said he aims to incorporate the devices in the residential halls and the campus’ legacy buildings.
“These MHEC funds will make a huge difference for the safety and security of the campus,” he said.
