Winona State University sets standards for safest campuses in the US, ranking number 11, according to research by the news reporting and opinion website The Daily Beast.

In regards to the ranking, Don Walski, WSU’s director of security, said, “We can attribute this to the high quality of students that we have at WSU […] the support from administration and our trained and qualified staff.”

“Over the years there has been tremendous amount of support and aid from the President, Vice President, and other University Officials," said Walski.

WSU currently staffs three full-time veteran law enforcement officers, with a combined 75 years of field experience, and 65 student security members.

“Due to our level of experience we can act quickly and refer the case in a very short period of time,” Walski said of his three full-time staff members.

The university features Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, a process, which lighting, visibility and territorial issues play a role in reducing crime.

Security equipment is also used on campus, including the use of code blues, courtesy phones and 100 security cameras.

WSU Security members are also highly engaged before putting on the Security uniform, according to Walski. He said, “train out personnel in crime prevention issues and hold classes for international students, residence life and incoming freshmen.”

Data compiled by The Daily Beast to determine the “top 25 safest campuses” was obtained from the U.S. Department of Education under the federal Clery Act.

The data used in the study included statistics from the two most recent years, which was analyzed with more than 40 different criteria, analyzing over 4,000 universities nationwide.

The universities and colleges studied had a minimum enrollment of 6,000, included on-campus housing, and offered both undergraduate and graduate programs.

For more information on WSU campus security visit: http://www.winona.edu/security/index.asp.

To view the complete Top 25 Safest Colleges story, visit: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-09-24/the-top-25-safest-colleges/.