Aaron L. Graves, a native North Carolinian, has been installed Duke University’s associate vice president for campus safety and security. Beginning last January, Graves, 52, has begun to oversee efforts to enhance safety and security at the university and medical campuses. He previously served as executive director and chief of public safety at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles since 2003, and was selected from more than 50 candidates after a national search.

Graves’ appointment comes seven months after Clarence Birkhead, the former chief police director, accepted a job as police chief of Hillsborough, N.C. In the newly created position, Graves will oversee strategic and tactical initiatives to ensure an enhanced and integrated approach to safety and security at the university and medical campuses.

“I am excited about this opportunity to join the leadership team at Duke,” said Graves. “Providing a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff and the many visitors to campus is essential if the university is to achieve its educational missions. I look forward to making a contribution to the university and to working with the members of the Duke police and security departments, and with Duke’s administrative leaders and the faculty, students and employees.”

Campus Services VP Kemel Dawkins, to whom Graves will report, said his new associate will help develop a strategic security plan for the university that involves traditional policing but also includes components such as increased use of technology.

“I expect he will be a vocal spokesperson and accessible to the community – a leader,” said Dawkins.

All In the Net

Located in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountain region, just north of Highland, Calif., San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino recently chose Endura, a distributed network-based video security system by Pelco, Clovis, Calif., as the focal point of surveillance security and the operation’s over 3,000-camera system requirement.

In the forefront: achieving the best picture quality and reliability for surveillance of the operation with a high-quality video security system. “What we were looking for was an extremely reliable, flexible video system that would utilize our IT infrastructure to its fullest – with expandability and adaptability to evolve as needed,” said Tom Naoum, San Manuel surveillance assistant director.

Scott Bartlett, with integrator Southwest Surveillance Systems of Las Vegas, said that putting together this system within the timeframe required by the casino went very well. “For such a large system, Endura was extremely quick and easy to install. Working with Pelco, knowing I could rely on everyone’s high level of customer service there, was significant in making my job easier. This is the largest system of this kind that I’m aware of – I just knew it would work out well and it did.”

“There’s nothing like helping to create the largest distributed IP-based video system in the gaming industry,” said Craig Dahlman, a senior product manager with the video system manufacturer.