Photo of a child wearing a helmet riding a tricycle on a model town set up for CWRU's Safety Town

Division of Public Safety hosts first on-campus safety town for local kindergarteners

Community Engagement | October 06, 2025 | Story by: Katie Laux

Local 5- and 6-year-old children started the school year with safety skills thanks to a new program offered by the Division of Public Safety at Case Western Reserve University.

For the first time, the division offered a Safety Town program, modeled after programs held across the country to provide safety education to young students through engaging activities. Over the course of a week, 14 children visited campus for three hours a day to learn about traffic rules, stranger danger, pedestrian and bicycle safety, fire safety and more.

The week concluded with a “graduation” ceremony and a special visit from K9s Maverick.

Adam Gilmore, deputy chief of police at CWRU, proposed the program to fill a gap he saw in safety education in the community.

“Our goal in hosting this program was to give young children a strong foundation in safety education while creating a positive, welcoming experience for families on campus. We wanted every child to have the opportunity to participate, which is why the program was offered free of charge,” he said. “Equally important, as only the second Safety Town program in Cleveland, it provided a meaningful opportunity for community engagement and safety education within the city.”

Photo of two CWRU police officers talking to children in front of a police vehicle

K9 Handler Officer Jimiyu Edwards met with the children and gave them the chance to see K9 Spartie.

Selfie photo taken by a CWRU police officer with the Safety Town children and volunteers

Safety Town participants met each morning for a week in August, learning about pedestrian and bicycle safety, fire safety, stranger danger and more.

Photo of children riding tricycles around a model town in the Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center

A model town was set up in the Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center for the children to practice their pedestrian and bicycle safety skills.

Children crouch down in a room to practice fire safety skills

Representatives from the Cleveland Fire Department demonstrated how to get low in the event of a fire.

Photo of young children boarding a school bus

As they prepared to begin school, the participants practiced safety skills when boarding a school bus.

Photo of teenagers wearing neon Safety Town T-shirts

A total 15 volunteers contributed to the Safety Town program, including six teenagers.

With support from Executive Director of Public Safety Megan Koeth and Chief of Police Paul Owens, Gilmore forged partnerships with local organizations to help educate the children. University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Injury Prevention Center, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District Transportation Services, the Cleveland Division of Fire and the CWRU Division of Public Safety contributed to the program. The CWRU Office of Local Government and Community Relations also contributed $1,000 to the program through its Community Enhancement Grant.

“For the CWRU Division of Public Safety, engaging in activities like Safety Town is vital to building trust, strengthening relationships, and creating lasting partnerships with the community we serve,” said Adam Gilmore, deputy chief of police at CWRU. “Programs like this allow children and families to see public safety professionals as approachable, supportive, and invested in their well-being, not just in times of crisis, but in everyday life.”

The Division of Public Safety aims to make the program an annual offering.

Safety Town is just one way the Division of Public Safety engages with the local community. This month, they’ll host a Trunk or Treat event for local children.