St. John's University has completed a redesign of its Department of Public Safety guard station at Gate 1. The project, finished in March, was celebrated on April 28 with a dedication ceremony led by the Rev. Richard Rock, C.M., honoring Public Safety officers for their service.

The ceremony included members of the Red Storm Battalion Army ROTC and the raising of the American and University flags on a new flagpole at the station, marking the final improvement in the redesign. The enhanced station now features new gates, curbing, landscaping, cameras, and other technological advancements.

Fr. Rock blessed the new guard station and its staff. Capt. Malcolm L. Brown, acting head of the University’s ROTC program, raised the flags with the battalion. Capt. Brown remarked, “It is a team effort to make sure St. John’s remains a culture where family and friends feel safe. Public Safety does a wonderful job, and we are happy to celebrate with them.”

Improvements to the station's interior structures concluded in the Summer of 2024, while exterior work, including landscaping, was completed by Winter 2025. The flagpole was installed on March 13.

Director of Public Safety Patrick Wing expressed pride in the project, noting its significance as often the first point of contact for visitors. He stated, "We strive for professionalism in every aspect at Public Safety, starting at our front door."

Brian Baumer, Associate Vice President of the Department of Campus Facilities and Services, and Interim Chief of Public Safety, highlighted that the station's changes extend beyond appearances. It now provides backup capabilities to Public Safety’s Command Center in the ROTC Building during emergencies. “It gives us added curb appeal at the guard station,” Baumer explained. “But it offers us more than that.”