Pat Gagnon, director of safety and security at St. Lawrence, is in charge of keeping 2,100 college students safe on a 1,000-acre campus.

In the wake of the 2007 Virginia Tech killings and other tragedies that shook the nation, Gagnon and his security team are always prepared for the worst.  “Events that take place in the U.S., elsewhere in the world or on college campuses usually precipitate fear of something possibly happening locally,” Gagnon explains.  “Keeping current with recent events and operational trends is paramount in our goals to remain proactive and prepared with our security and safety operations.”

Gagnon’s passion for his work is mirrored by his accomplishments at St. Lawrence.  He sought to make the University a safer place by implementing a widespread system of call boxes, security cameras, card access control systems and fire alarm systems around the campus.  Thanks to his efforts and those of his colleagues, St. Lawrence will nearly triple the number of “blue light” phones on campus, jumping from 17 call boxes to 44.

One of his proudest achievements, he says, is founding the St. Lawrence University Security Officer Academy in 2006.  The program invites officers from other private colleges to attend a formal seminar for training purposes.  A key challenge for a campus security director, Gagnon says, is “balancing enforcement and safety with complacency and ‘community acceptance.’”

Gagnon began his career at St. Lawrence in 1997.  He was appointed interim director of security in 2003 and officially became director in 2005.  “Every day is different, bringing new challenges – it’s a fun and exciting job and I love everything about it!” Gagnon says.