2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial
W.W.P.S.D? What would Public Safety do? Nothing
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: Opinions
- Page 1 of 1
Public Safety has given this campus a reason to distrust the service it is here to do.
Dating back to Sept. 16, a male student was attacked near a parking lot on campus and his personal belongings were stolen. The student was injured but was still able to give a description of the assailant.
While the attack is frightening enough, what may be of greater concern to students on campus is Public Safety's delayed response to this incident.
Public Safety did not issue a campus-wide alert about the attack until 10 days after it occurred.
In light of the violence that has plagued campuses nationwide from Virginia Tech to the recent events on campuses in Tennessee and Delaware, we have been told repeatedly that SCSU has reviewed its security policies to keep students safe.
Yet how are we to believe these supposed revisions when our campus security force fails to efficiently and quickly alert its students to a potential safety threat?
While it may have been an isolated attack with no weapons involved, students have the right to know if a violent individual is on the loose on and/or near campus.
At St. John's University in New York, a masked freshman was seen on campus with a loaded rifle sticking out of his backpack, and within 18 minutes, the campus mass text messaged students to warn them of the gunman.
These alert systems are being instituted on nearly every campus throughout the nation, yet Public Safety lacks even sending an e-mail the same day.
The Chronicle attempted to obtain information about the assault, but was met with no response from Public Safety. Public Safety owes this campus, students and faculty a prompt explanation for its actions, or lack thereof. If we are to take this department seriously, it should perhaps start to take its important job seriously, as well.
The safety of all on this campus may very well depend on the actions this department takes.
Delayed responses led to the loss of 30 additional lives at Virginia Tech. It would be a shame not to learn from their tragedy.
Dating back to Sept. 16, a male student was attacked near a parking lot on campus and his personal belongings were stolen. The student was injured but was still able to give a description of the assailant.
While the attack is frightening enough, what may be of greater concern to students on campus is Public Safety's delayed response to this incident.
Public Safety did not issue a campus-wide alert about the attack until 10 days after it occurred.
In light of the violence that has plagued campuses nationwide from Virginia Tech to the recent events on campuses in Tennessee and Delaware, we have been told repeatedly that SCSU has reviewed its security policies to keep students safe.
Yet how are we to believe these supposed revisions when our campus security force fails to efficiently and quickly alert its students to a potential safety threat?
While it may have been an isolated attack with no weapons involved, students have the right to know if a violent individual is on the loose on and/or near campus.
At St. John's University in New York, a masked freshman was seen on campus with a loaded rifle sticking out of his backpack, and within 18 minutes, the campus mass text messaged students to warn them of the gunman.
These alert systems are being instituted on nearly every campus throughout the nation, yet Public Safety lacks even sending an e-mail the same day.
The Chronicle attempted to obtain information about the assault, but was met with no response from Public Safety. Public Safety owes this campus, students and faculty a prompt explanation for its actions, or lack thereof. If we are to take this department seriously, it should perhaps start to take its important job seriously, as well.
The safety of all on this campus may very well depend on the actions this department takes.
Delayed responses led to the loss of 30 additional lives at Virginia Tech. It would be a shame not to learn from their tragedy.