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After UNLV shooting, NSHE urges investment in campus safety; governor recommends $11M one‑time
Summary
Following the December 2023 attack at UNLV, NSHE presented a safety and security needs list including door locks, cameras, emergency communications and staffing. The system said it sought about $50M one‑time systemwide; the governor's recommendation included roughly $11M.
NSHE leaders told the subcommittee that campus safety and security upgrades remain a top priority after the December 2023 attack at UNLV that killed three faculty members.
Chancellor Patty Charlton said the system formed an ad‑hoc public safety committee after the incident and identified a suite of one‑time upgrades that institutions requested, including locked classroom doors, upgraded campus communications, emergency call stations, additional surveillance and centralized monitoring and increased campus police staffing.
“We asked for about $50 million one‑time funding across the system to address things such as locking mechanisms, cameras, emergency phones and other infrastructure,” Charlton said. She added the governor’s recommended budget included about $11 million toward safety and security, a fraction of the total the system originally requested.
Public commenters representing the Nevada Faculty Alliance urged the committee to increase safety funding. Doug Unger, who served on the Chancellor’s ad‑hoc committee, listed recommended items including classroom door locks, a centralized Southern Command communication system, additional campus officers and coordinated camera monitoring.
Why it matters: NSHE said equipment, coordination and staffing gaps leave campuses at varying levels of readiness to respond to active‑shooter incidents and other violent events. Administrators said the requested funds would be used to improve consistency and modernize safety infrastructure across rural and urban campuses.
Next steps: NSHE asked lawmakers to consider additional appropriations for security infrastructure and to continue working with system leaders and local first responders to define state‑level priorities.
