Campus safety leaders, law enforcement professionals, university administrators, and industry partners gathered at Texas A&M University in College Station on July 27 and 28 for the Safer Texas: A&M College Station Safety Summit.
Hosted by CriticalArc and Texas A&M University, the two-day event drew an incredible turnout and created a valuable forum for attendees to exchange ideas, learn from real-world experience, and explore how institutions can build safer, more connected campuses across Texas.
Two Days of Insight, Collaboration, and Practical Learning
The summit opened with remarks from Mike Johnson, Associate Vice President and Chief of Police at Texas A&M University, followed by sessions examining the future of campus safety in Texas and the emerging threats facing higher education.
Todd Van Dresar, a Texas A&M University criminal investigator assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, shared insights on the evolving threat landscape and the importance of coordinating safety, institutional culture, and compliance.
CriticalArc Senior Executive Consultant and former U.S. Department of Education senior leader Jim Moore led sessions focused on identifying institutional risk, strengthening Clery compliance, and putting anti-hazing requirements into practice. Attendees also heard directly from Texas A&M leaders representing university police, emergency management, transportation, environmental management, student affairs, and other departments about coordinating safety across a large, decentralized campus.
Interactive discussions encouraged participants to consider how their own institutions can improve real-time reporting, strengthen cross-department collaboration, and better align safety, compliance, and emergency response workflows.
Defining a Safer Texas
Day two began with a keynote from Dic Donohue, Policy Research Scientist at Flock Safety, centered on defining “Safer Texas 2030.” The session challenged attendees to identify statewide priorities, shared operational challenges, and opportunities for deeper collaboration across Texas institutions.
A panel featuring leaders from Texas A&M University and the University of Texas System explored how universities, law enforcement agencies, and emergency management teams can strengthen partnerships and build more consistent approaches to campus safety statewide.
The summit concluded with a conversation on sporting event safety and game day operations, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of Kyle Field. Attendees gained a firsthand look at how Texas A&M coordinates game day command, crowd operations, transportation, communications, and emergency response at scale.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
This event would not have been possible without the generous support of our four sponsors:
- Flock Safety – Platinum Sponsor
- Axis Communications – Titanium Sponsor
- Genetec – Gold Sponsor
- Allied Universal – Silver Sponsor
Their participation helped create an engaging, collaborative experience for everyone in attendance. We are grateful for their continued commitment to supporting safer campuses and stronger communities.
Organizations interested in joining future events as a thought partner can explore the USA SafeZone Symposium sponsorship opportunities.
The Conversation Continues
The enthusiasm, openness, and level of participation throughout the Safer Texas Summit demonstrated what is possible when campus safety professionals come together to share practical experience and work toward common goals.
SafeZone Symposiums are intentionally designed to move beyond traditional conference presentations. Through expert-led discussions, peer collaboration, real-world case studies, and operational tours, these events give attendees practical ideas they can take back to their institutions while building lasting relationships with colleagues across the higher education safety community.
Thank you to Texas A&M University, our speakers, sponsors, and every attendee who contributed to such a successful event. We look forward to continuing the conversation and welcoming campus safety leaders to future SafeZone Symposiums.
Posted 3rd Aug 2026
