Last Friday, the NYU Department of Public Safety released its Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety reports. The reports concern the three NYU campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai as well as the Global Academic Centers that make up NYU's study abroad network.

For NYU Abu Dhabi, which moved to its new facilities in 2014, this is the first report with data on the Saadiyat campus. The move from downtown Abu Dhabi to Saadiyat Island, and the increase in the scale of university resources, have presented early challenges for NYUAD’s growing Public Safety Department.

Senior Director of Public Safety Michael Scollan acknowledged that the Saadiyat campus is still new, with a lot of construction in progress. While the functioning of his department has remained essentially the same throughout the years, revaluations and adjustments have become a part of Scollan’s job.

Overall, the recent report depicts NYUAD as a safer place in 2014 than in 2013 and 2012; it discloses one case of reported burglary and one case of alcohol abuse, both in residential buildings on campus.

In comparison, the 2013 data includes one rape incident, two burglary cases and one incident of alcohol abuse. The full Campus Crime Statistics table can be found here.

The report covers the years from 2012 to 2014, offering a mix of data from both Saadiyat and NYUAD’s old Downtown Campus. While the UAE does not publish full statistics on crime within its borders, Scollan denied that this countrywide policy affected the accuracy or release of safety reports for NYUAD.

Still, seniors Maddie Moore and Nia Wilson expressed concern over what they perceived as possible under-representation in the reports' numbers, showing apprehension about the low rate of sexual assaults reflected in the document.

“Of course, there are many variables skewing the data, which could range from a lack of [students] reporting incidents, to the school’s failure to respond to these incidents appropriately,” wrote Moore to The Gazelle.

“Regardless, what I take from this is that there's a massive disconnect between students and administrators here, even in very serious situations,” she added.

Wilson also added alcohol-related incidents to the list of potentially under-reported issues, emphasizing that disclosure could depend on the seriousness of such violations and the procedures of dealing with them.

As of publication time, the Department of Public Safety has not yet clarified whether all incidents qualify for inclusion in its statistics, or whether some remain confidential.

In terms of Public Safety’s current philosophy, Scollan said that the department’s new focus is gradually shifting to external security concerns.

“As the area develops and gets busier, you want to be aware of what’s around you,” he explained. “[This] allows you to know when things are out of place.”

Public Safety officers have familiarized themselves with the campus by working consistently at the same stations, so there are now fewer ID checks on campus. The Welcome Center watches arrivals to campus while also providing campus maps, event schedules and other general information. In light of recent efforts, Scollan acknowledged that finding the balance between being open and being protected continues to be a challenge.

Wilson, who is also an RA, believes that student ID control has visibly lessened while surveillance of strangers has increased over time, particularly when compared to life at NYUAD's previous location in downtown Abu Dhabi. But she also expressed concern over the surveillance of students in the name of their protection.

For security reasons, Scollan could not disclose the number of cameras or security guards being employed on Saadiyat campus, but said they are adequate to ensure safety and meet UAE requirements.