As students return to campus, they may notice the absence of familiar garnet polos. Swarthmore’s Department of Public Safety spent the summer implementing changes to its department. Their modifications go beyond physical appearance, with some shifts affecting student transportation and officer training protocols.
Visually, Public Safety has transitioned from red uniforms to more casual grey polos. Associate Director of Public Safety John Bera explained in correspondence with The Phoenix that they have “adopted new uniforms that are less formal to reinforce a non-intimidating, approachable image while maintaining professionalism.”
Despite the change, Bera and Vice President for Communications and Marketing Andy Hirsch both told The Phoenix that Public Safety isn’t undergoing a “rebranding.” “Public Safety, like many areas of the College, regularly assesses its policies and practices,” Hirsch added. Bera said the recent changes reflect the department “enhancing how it communicates its role and commitment to the community.”
Students, especially those living further from campus, will also notice modifications to the Garnet Shuttle. Two main updates were made to the shuttle system: 1) Students can now track shuttle drivers more accurately in real time along their route, and 2) the shuttle routes themselves have been modified.
With the updated shuttle app, students can anticipate when they can expect to be picked up. Mary Lyon Hall resident Jeremy Weinstein-Sears ’28 noted that while service is “very good” overall, there have been times when shuttle drivers have not turned their trackers on. Without the live tracking, students find it difficult to plan ahead, as Public Safety notes that a full shuttle loop can take 35 minutes. “Since there’s no timesheet [in the app], it’s important to have access to the live location to plan whether or not to use the shuttle,” Weinstein-Sears said.
The campus shuttle no longer continues north to Clothier Circle, where it previously dropped students off outside Parrish West. Instead, to avoid the sharp turns behind the Danawell complex, the shuttle only extends to the Faulkner tennis courts. This leaves students with a less direct route to Clothier Hall, LPAC, and Lang Music. There is also no longer a stop at the “Duck Tunnel.”
Bera indicated that the shuttle updates are a work in progress: “It’s still early and we are assessing the routes … [And] we will continue to assess and collect feedback as we go forward in the semester.” But he highlighted that “the initial feedback on new shuttle routes and the updated app indicates a positive impact on accessibility, inclusion, comfort, and safety.”
Calvin Chen ’28 remarked that he is currently unsatisfied with the shuttle system. Like Weinstein-Sears, he pointed out that the shuttle system is in desperate need of a more regularized timetable. He claimed the live tracking feature is “hardly a suitable replacement” as it is “impossible to differentiate” between the different shuttles in the morning. He reiterated that sometimes the trackers are not active.
Furthermore, Chen argued that as the shuttle is now required to stop at all stops on a route, it eliminates the “shuttle drivers’ freedom to transport students directly to their destinations.” While Chen called for changes to be made to the Garnet Shuttle, he did note that the shuttle drivers “are some of the nicest people to work for the college and never fail to make me smile.”
Other changes to Public Safety this semester may be less immediately evident from a student’s perspective. For example, the Public Safety training protocol shifted dramatically to a new initiative, “Presence with a Purpose.”
Bera explained that this model is “designed to foster a visible yet approachable presence on campus that enhances community connection without increasing patrols or adopting a security-like stance.” Public Safety officers are no longer trained as extensively in restraint and different types of holds. Rather, the program focuses on soft skills such as active listening and conflict de-escalation. Other aspects of training include cultural competence, mental health first aid, and trauma-informed communication.
Before this semester, some Public Safety officers were Act 235 certified, meaning they were trained to carry lethal weapons. In email correspondence with The Phoenix, Bera clarified that presently, “Act 235 certification is not offered by the department.” However, Bera declined to respond when prompted about protocol changes for Public Safety officers who are already certified from previous training, as the certifications last for five years. Furthermore, in an employment posting for a Public Safety Community Resource Officer posted on Sept. 8, 2025, Act 235 certification was listed as a “preferred qualification.”
In an email to The Phoenix, Hirsch stated, “I’m not aware of a member of the Public Safety team using restraints on campus in at least a decade,” and shared that the department’s officers haven’t carried them since the Fall 2024 semester. According to Hirsch, because carrying restraints no longer aligned with Public Safety’s values, officers stopped participating in the “state-offered training.” Thus, while Public Safety officers are not armed and do not have the power to arrest, there could still be some officers trained to carry weapons, and, based on current hiring practices, there may be more in the future.
The shift to more inclusive practice comes after Public Safety faced scrutiny in March 2024, when former officer Brendan Duke was accused of committing “illegal/racist actions” against a Black student. While Duke is no longer employed at the college, the call to action by the student organization Black at Swarthmore and subsequent student protests raised significant concerns about the ethics of Public Safety.
Aashish Panta ’26 is a resident assistant (RA). During training in August, the RAs received a presentation by Public Safety outlining some of their training changes. For Panta, the previous training methods were surprising: “We were shocked to know the previous training included how to physically restrain and cuff individuals.” He noted that the RAs are pleased to see the changes Public Safety is making. “We are glad that they are trying to make their training more appropriate for a college campus setting like Swat.”
The college’s values have been one of the driving forces behind Bera’s training changes. He emphasized that the new training echoes the community’s values of “communication, empathy, and situational awareness.” Further, Bera pointed out Public Safety’s increased involvement in campus life “is further evidenced by Public Safety’s active participation in campus events, student group dialogues, and safety workshops, focusing on relationship-building rather than enforcement.”
Hirsh noted the difficulty gauging student perspectives of Public Safety. He explained that “the student body isn’t a monolith, so I don’t think students as a whole feel one way about the office.” However, he stressed that “members of the campus community regularly rely on and turn to PubSafe for assistance.” Bera agrees, saying that he hopes to change the campus perception of Public Safety from a “typical security profile into that of approachable partners in campus life, emphasizing everyday presence and support.”
