A new collaborative effort between Emory’s Student Government Association (SGA) and the Emory Police Department (EPD), the EPD Student Advisory Council is working to open lines of communication and build community-focused solutions.
“After student demonstrations in recent years, a lot of students recognized the growing need for direct lines of communication between students and campus police,” says Halle Bereket, a senior who now serves as SGA vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. “That is why we reached out to EPD with a proposal to create something new.”
The initial meeting proved to be productive, according to senior Tyler Martinez, SGA president.
“Our meeting highlighted the importance of establishing a dedicated space where students and EPD can engage in open dialogue, work together on meaningful solutions and build a foundation of trust, transparency and accountability across our campus community,” says Martinez.
Building a new approach
SGA leaders met regularly with EPD Chief Burt Buchtinec and campus administrators during spring semester, sharing ideas for a student advisory council that would develop community-based solutions to improve both communication and safety across campus. After researching peer institutions’ advisory council models, EPD and student leaders crafted a proposal that shaped how Emory would move forward. University leaders approved the proposal and the EPD Student Advisory Council was born.
Tabling events are part of a series of activities hosted by EPD as part of the department’s ongoing campus outreach program. Photo by Joya Jackson.
Goals include ensuring that students are seen, heard and protected; cultivating dialogue on safety concerns; increasing student understanding of EPD policies; and expanding community awareness of campus safety resources.
The current council is co-chaired by Buchtinec and Martinez. Council members, who will serve renewable one-year terms, reflect a diverse cross-section of the campus community. They include SGA leaders from the Atlanta and Oxford College campuses; an Emory Emergency Medical Services team member; an EPD student ambassador; and Campus Life leadership and staff. Over time, council membership will expand to include other student representatives.
The role of student members includes bringing insight to how students would like to receive information and voicing students’ concerns and expectations about campus safety. EPD members will provide input on department policies and procedures, especially when responding to emergency situations, and work with Student Advisory Council members to maintain open lines of communication between EPD and the student body.
Council members will meet monthly throughout the academic year and participate in training on how to “Stand Against Discrimination and Harassment,” offered by the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance.
Establishing the council opens additional channels for communication. EPD has engaged regularly and directly with the campus community in recent years by hosting tables at community events and conducting pop-up activities around campus.
“We welcome the opportunity to expand and enhance our approach to campus safety through the EPD Student Advisory Council,” says Buchtinec, whose 28 years of experience span municipal law enforcement agencies, a sheriff’s office and higher education, including the past 18 years with Emory.
“We value our relationship with students and student leaders and share their commitment to fostering a better mutual understanding of how EPD responds to campus emergencies,” the chief adds. “Working together to communicate more directly and openly will help support a more secure campus community for everyone.”
Guyberson Pierre, who graduated in May 2025, was Bereket’s predecessor as SGA vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. He served in that role during spring semester when he partnered with Bereket and Martinez in their work with EPD to form the council.
“I really appreciated EPD’s incredible openness to student feedback,” says Pierre. “I am confident the EPD Student Advisory Council will continue to embrace honest conversation as the path to real change — and serve as a lasting example of engagement, open dialogue and transparency in the Emory University community.”