Date of Degree
2025
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Nyunt, Gudrun
Committee Members
Wesener-Michael, Kelly; Hutchings, Quortne
Keywords
Campus policing, Community policing, Social media engagement, Campus safety, Student trust, Trauma-informed practice, Higher education
Abstract
Campus police increasingly rely on social media to reach students, yet little is known about how these efforts influence trust, collaboration, and perceptions of safety. This qualitative case study examined how one public research university’s police department uses social media to support community-policing goals. Data came from student interviews, departmental policy analysis, and a review of social media content.
Findings showed three central patterns. First, top-down, compliance-oriented messaging limited connection and failed to meet students’ expectations for open, two-way communication. Second, consistent and authentic engagement, online and in person, helped build shared responsibility and strengthened trust in campus safety efforts. Third, uneven awareness of trauma-informed and equity-focused practices shaped mixed perceptions of care and inclusion.
Together, these findings suggest that effective digital communication in campus policing must move beyond information delivery toward dialogue that values student voice and humanizes police presence. The study offers practical guidance for higher-education leaders and campus safety professionals seeking to align digital outreach with community-policing principles and student-centered engagement.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Jackson, Dathan C., "Digital Community Policing: Using Social Media to Engage Students and Enhance Campus Safety" (2025). Dissertations of Practice. 90.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/90
Included in
Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Criminology Commons, Higher Education Commons, Social Media Commons
