The NSW Police Force has advised me that police from the Newcastle City Local Area Command have recently met with senior representatives of Newcastle University with a view to implementing a range of measures that will improve security for students. These include recommencement of a Student Safety Council, high visibility police patrols of the University and surrounds both day and night, and physical security improvements on campus such as improved CCTV at the University entrance.

Some measures will specifically focus on international students, such as a series of workshops designed to break down cultural barriers between those students and police that may exist based on their home country experiences. Issues to be addressed include personal safety, crime prevention and means of reporting offences. Strategies to improve communication between University management and police in relation to offences against this group are also being examined.