Staff Editorial | Security on campus should be a cooperative effort

After even a few months on campus, Vassar begins to feel like a second home to students, making it easy to forget that we live, work and study on an open, publicly accessible college campus. A recent spate of thefts in the Library, however, serves as a jarring reminder that larceny does occur at Vassar, and that students simply cannot leave valuable belongings, especially laptops, unattended. Even within the residence halls and student housing, an open door can result in theft, since buildings requiring card access are still public spaces. While it is ultimately the responsibility of students to watch out for themselves and their neighbors, the College should aid students in their personal security needs.

One way the College could assist students is by making laptop locks available for use at the library circulation desk. If students can sign out a computer, then why not make a lock available to secure their laptop? This would both provide students with a means of securing their computers in the Library and promote overall awareness of the need to so. Laptop locks are relatively inexpensive, and lending them to students would show that the College is making a concerted effort to help keep students’ belongings safe.

However, the burden of safety rests with students as much as with the College. The Miscellany News encourages Vassar students to remain aware of campus safety and of various security resources provided by the College. Campus Patrol, which is organized and run by students in cooperation with the Security Office, provides a walking escort service on campus at night. Security operates a shuttle that stops at numerous locations on campus, and emergency phones are located throughout campus beneath blue lights. The Campus Response Center (CRC) in Main Building offers assistance and should be notified in the event of any emergency, or to report a suspicious person or activity. Free Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes are offered through the Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention Program, and provide women with both defensive techniques and information about physical resistance to assault.

While the College and Security should be lauded for making the above programs and services available to the Vassar community, a surprising number of students refrain from utilizing them. Last year, the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Administrative Review Committee assessed the Security Office, and after extensive dialogue and a student survey submitted a thorough and balanced look at students’ perceptions of Vassar security.

In general, most students who responded to the survey conveyed their positive feelings about security and its importance in establishing and maintaining a sense of safety on campus. Many expressed the desire to see increased security guard presence on the network of paths, including those on the residential quad, and at campus gates.

However, few students indicated that they had used the services available to them. Only a small number reported using the security-run campus shuttle with any regularity. One-third of the survey’s respondents said they had never taken the campus shuttle, and two-thirds had never called the CRC for a ride from a security officer.

Similarly, only five of approximately 400 survey respondents had taken a RAD class, and nearly 20 percent were unaware that security even offers such classes. Clearly, the College is going to a lot of trouble creating and implementing these programs, but students are not using them.

To their credit, Security has responded to some of these concerns, as shown by the recent addition of the Town House path to Security’s nightly patrol. But the College and Security must actively promote the existence of these safety resources on campus. One such step could be posting the campus shuttle schedule in residences, making it easier for students to benefit from an already existing resource.

The Miscellany News believes that the College and the student body must work together to promote safety awareness on campus. Students have a responsibility to take precautions to protect themselves and their belongings, but the College must help. The administration should actively promote existing security programs and services, and take smaller initiatives such as offering laptop locks in public study spaces. Vassar is a nurturing but open community, and everyone must contribute to its security.

The Staff Editorial represents at least a two-thirds majority of the 14 member Editorial Board.