As we look back on the 2025-26 academic year, we are reminded that community safety is measured not only by how we prepare for emergencies and respond to incidents, but also by how we show up for one another during moments of grief, fear and uncertainty.
One of the most painful moments of the year happened in May with the murder of UW sophomore Juniper Blessing. Her death brought heartbreak to the Husky community and heightened fear and anger, particularly among trans Huskies. Understandably, it is little comfort that the suspect is in custody and that there is currently no evidence that the crime was not motivated by hate.
In this loss and throughout the year, we’ve seen tremendous Husky resilience and care as students, staff and faculty united to support one another through challenges large and small, and who step up to support curiosity, welcoming and belonging.
Division of Campus Community Safety units saw more calls for assistance than ever before — a sign of need, but, also, we hope, of earned trust.
In-person, on-call mental and behavioral health responders launch
In January, after years of advocacy by students, staff and faculty, DCCS formally introduced Husky Assist, a dedicated, skilled team of on-call mental health professionals ready to respond to students, staff and faculty experiencing a mental or behavioral health situation on the Seattle campus.
Husky Assist team members carry radios and respond to a variety of situations including emotional distress, suicidal thoughts and wellness checks. The team can respond on their own or with a police officer depending on the situation. To date, the team has responded to 117 individual members of the UW community.
Husky Assist has proven valuable in supporting UW groups through loss, too. Through group sessions, Husky Assist served an additional 137 UW community members.
An example of this group support came in February. Husky Assist Director Jennifer Magnani and Mobile Responder Grace Kim joined employees at Raitt Hall to provide comfort and care to colleagues after the unexpected death of a longtime employee at the Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology.
“We are a very tight-knit unit, and this was a real blow to our community,” said CSDE Director Professor Sara Curran. “It was a relief to have Jennifer and Grace with us. They were very good at meeting people where they were at, following up with resources, and returning within 48 hours to provide additional support. Their caring kindness and practical guidance were a huge relief to me and everyone on staff.”
Husky Assist is available to respond on the UW’s Seattle campus 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday (except for holidays). To reach Husky Assist, call 206-543-9331or 911.
Learn more: https://www.washington.edu/safety/2026/01/06/husky-assist-launches/
Sustaining a proactive, holistic approach to threat assessment & violence prevention
In 2025, the SafeCampus threat assessment team navigated increasingly complex situations across the UW landscape. During profoundly uncertain times when people are feeling more fearful and anxious about the world, SafeCampus tends to spend significantly more time consulting with faculty, staff, and students about their safety and wellbeing. Violence Prevention Assessment Team (VPAT) meetings increased by 47% compared to 2024, reflecting a growing need for a skilled, coordinated, multidisciplinary response to safety concerns. For the UW units and individuals involved, the SafeCampus work demonstrates the importance of early intervention and collaboration in addressing concerning behaviors.
Consultation and safety planning remain the majority of SafeCampus work. Of note, calls by undergraduate students increased, with undergraduate callers representing 21% of reports in 2025 compared to just 8% in 2024. This increase may reflect increased awareness of SafeCampus among the student population.
To support students, faculty and staff experiencing online harassment or abuse due to their UW work, SafeCampus started employing a new tool – a subscription with DeleteMe, a data removal service designed to reduce personal information available out on the web.
Stepping up readiness through trainings and exercises – including on federal agent protocols
This past academic year marked the start of the rebuild of UW’s training and exercises capacity through UW Emergency Management and the great teams at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma. Staff at all three campuses are working together on basic preparedness and National Incident Management System trainings for the UW community. In addition, the Seattle Emergency Operations Center received a much needed tech makeover with old, dead equipment moved out and a more flexible set-up now in place in case of activation.
In February, the Division’s Strategic & Crisis Communications team pulled off a Seattle campus test of the UW Alert system and the outdoor blue tower speaker system, something not done in years! The active threat communications drill highlighted how the campus would be informed and what to do in the event of an active shooter attack. UW Bothell and UW Tacoma also held successful active threat drills on their campuses.
Unfortunately, fears regarding federal immigration policy permeated this year. DCCS staff, including SafeCampus, led trainings for units across the UW, sharing guidance from the UW’s protocol for responding to requests from federal law enforcement agencies and playing through scenarios envisioned by staff and faculty. These trainings will be available next academic year and for as long as needed.
Thanks to Husky Soccer Stadium being selected as a practice site for World Cup 2026, UWEM in Seattle had a great opportunity for disaster prep exercises and strengthening of connections with partners managing safety across the Seattle sites. World Cup preparations have kept UWEM on the ball, but it’s nothing compared to the game plan UW Medicine emergency management and other staff put together in advance of being the Seattle World Cup’s medical system!
Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity & Excellence in action
The UW Police Department team in Seattle regularly demonstrated their skill, creativity and compassion again this year. The Department succeeded in attaining accreditation again from the national Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), a huge recognition of the team’s excellence. Campus Safety Responders were more visible than ever around campus keeping an eye out and providing assistance as needed. Dispatchers co-designed the protocols for sending out Husky Assist responders. Officers responded to the regular calls that come with the Seattle campus being like a small city – including being first on scene for acts of violence done to our community. We are grateful to have been selected for an Officer Wellness grant from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. The grant will in part fund an on-call mental health and well-being support program for officers to be piloted over the next year.
Better together
This year DCCS benefited from regular meet-ups with ASUW and GPSS leadership, as well as with the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council leads. We were grateful to spend time with the ASUW Student Senate, the Provost’s Advisory Committee, the Council on Research & Graduate Education, the Student Advisory Board for the Vice President of Minority Affairs & Diversity, and so many others. We continued hard work with the Health Sciences Safety & Security Committee in Seattle assessing spaces and pathways in the Health Sciences alphabet soup of building sections. We brainstormed with the Office for Civil Rights, Hillel and others on how to disrupt and mitigate the impacts of legal speech intended to create fear and anger.
Our work is made better by hearing how it’s experienced and seen by the people we’re intending to serve and collaborate with. Thank you for the good and the bad in the feedback.
We are so thankful for smart, compassionate colleagues in UW Facilities, Student Life (including HFS and Student Activities), Environmental Health & Safety, the Alumni Association, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Compliance & Risk Services and the many other campus and community partners who work alongside us every day. Their expertise, dedication and willingness to collaborate strengthen our collective ability to support the UW community and build a campus where every Husky can learn, work and thrive.