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Safety Fears Brought to Surface
Avi Asher-Schapiro (SFS ’10) said guards in East Campus never make anyone swipe their GOCard.
Another resident, Shane Hickey (SFS ’10), said that the LXR GOCard machine was often out of commission.
Winnie Kuo, an exchange student, said that there are too many hidden entrances to LXR Hall.
And Henri Minion (SFS ’10) said he has seen security guards asleep at their post.
Indeed, Saturday morning’s reported sexual assault has cast a spotlight on security in LXR — and across campus — causing students to come together in demanding security reforms that have been on their minds far before Saturday.
According to an e-mail from Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson and Vice President for University Safety Rocco DelMonaco to LXR and Nevils residents, there will be at least one extra Department of Public Safety officer patrolling LXR until students move out, as well as an increase in regular MPD patrols of the area. They also reported that a broken GOCard swiper in the lobby of LXR was fixed yesterday, after they received repeated complaints from students over the past several weeks.
The e-mail also stated that the northeast and southeast courtyard doors allowing access into the LXR and Nevils courtyard can now only be used as emergency exits.
The incidents this weekend have prompted the university to revisit its contract with Securitas Services USA, Inc., which Georgetown hired to patrol LXR after a string of stolen property from the residence hall in 2005.
But with two burglaries reported the morning after the alleged assault, the effectiveness of the university’s heightened security efforts has been questioned.
Allison Mead (SFS ’10) and fellow LXR resident Kelly Scavone (COL ’10) co-wrote a petition to DPS on Sunday demanding immediate security changes in the East Campus residences, which was signed by 30 residents that night. Their list of grievances included the broken GOCard machine in LXR, sleeping or absent security guards, an inadequate communication system, unlocked or broken doors in the courtyard and unresponsive measures from campus security.
Although the Securitas guards were hired to boost security on the East Campus, many students have not been impressed by what they see as a sometimes lax level of vigilance.
Securitas supervisor Mo Odbes said that three Securitas officers are on duty at all times — one in the LXR lobby, one in the Walsh Building lobby and one roving guard who patrols Village A, Alumni Square, LXR and Walsh.
In addition, a Securitas officer patrols the Georgetown neighborhood in a car from 6 p.m. until 3 a.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.
Odbes said the two guards on desk duty at the time of the assault Saturday morning have been suspended, although the rover was not. He said one guard had worked at Georgetown for more than three years and the other for about two years.
The current staff of Securitas guards, Odbes said, has worked at Georgetown for an average of two to three years.
Securitas guards work eight-hour shifts from Monday to Friday and 12-hour shifts on the weekends, Odbes said. The two suspended guards were working eight-hour shifts, lasting from 11 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.
The guard desks should be manned at all times, Odbes said. If a guard needs a bathroom break, the roving guard typically replaces him or her at the desk. If a guard is late for a shift, the guard on duty is required to stay until the next guard arrives.
The assault spurred students to voice a number of security concerns on the East Campus that they have held for a while before Saturday’s reported sexual assault.
“In the courtyard there is no surveillance, so things always seem to be broken out there,” Rachel Ellis (COL ’10) said.
Residents also reported that, over the past several months, several doors have been broken, hanging off the hinges or accessible without a swiping a GOCard. Soda cans have also been used to prop open side doors, highlighting the need for increased student safety precautions.
At least one student living in East Campus said that university administrators seem to be moving quickly to address security concerns.
“They’re taking it seriously. The question is how soon can they be fixed,” said Carter Lavin (SFS ’10), who took Olson, DelMonaco and another administrator to see the broken doors in the LXR/Nevils courtyard after a meeting they held at LXR Saturday night.
“They’re doing what they can at that moment,” he said. “I realize that we live in a place where there are risks everywhere. Although these complaints have been filed in the past, it’s taken until this for the university to realize how serious these complaints are.”
But still others have expressed disappointment with the university’s attempts at increasing security and the 11-hour delay between the incident and the public safety alert sent via e-mail to the Georgetown community.
“Our school didn’t alert people for [almost] 12 hours after. Our emergency system needs to be amped up,” Mead said. “I have the emergency system. Why didn’t I get a text message to say, ‘Lock your doors; there is an intruder’?”
“I know of at least four people on [the third] floor who aren’t sleeping here,” she said.
Mead added that girls in her hallway are afraid to leave their rooms at night, even to go to the bathroom.
Scavone said she never felt unsafe at Georgetown until this weekend.
“It took something like this to raise awareness,” Scavone said. “What affects East Campus affects everyone.”
— Hoya Staff Writer Julia Cai contributed to this report.
“I have the emergency system. Why didn’t I get a text message to say, ‘Lock your doors; there is an intruder’?”
How Stupid is this?
Why not use your freaking brain and lock your door all the time?
Why does it take an intruder in the building for you to do the smart thing?
I swear, for a college that prides itself on being one of the top, its students are morons.
Robert,
The emergency response system is designed to alert students of any danger or threat to their safety. I don't know about you, but I would consider an armed intruder in my building a threat to my safety.....
I think that we need to demand that the university place security cameras at every entrance to every building on campus. This would not only deter criminals, but would also make apprehending them easier. This would also ensure that the guards are being checked up on as well, and if an incident were reported, the tapes would show if the guard was awake, if every gocard was swiped, etc. This is a really simple security measure that could make a huge difference.
It also makes me feel pretty vulnerable when more than one Securitas officer has made sexual comments to me. Ranging from a simple yet inappropriate 'you look good' to a lengthy plea that I go home with him and sleep with him.
Allison,
You missed what I was getting at. Campus Policy dictates that you lock your dorm doors at all times, not just when you're out of the room. It's for your safety and protection. It's very hard for anyone to get into a door that is locked all the time, unless they use heavy force or a key.
I think it's a shame that it takes having to hear about an armed gunman, or another kind of unlawful, or unwanted intruder to any dorm before anyone thinks to lock thier door. Locking the door to my home, bedroom, or even car, either when I am not using them, or when I am, is something that has been instilled in me from a very young age.
Using the excuse, "I would have liked to have known faster, so I could have locked my door." is a cop out.
Yes, an armed gunman is something the the campus should send out immediate alerts for, if the gunman is still in the area and an immediate threat to the public.
However, it's plainly stated in both DPS' and MPD's releases on this crime, that it was not reported until some time after it occured. Both departments canvassed, and found nothing, in the area or the buildings. Why panic a campus, if there's not a need for it?
But I digress, that is another arguement for another story. As far as I'm concerned until anything of this nature happens to President Jack himself, nothing will change here at Georgetown. So this is all a moot point, isn't it?
I'm not sure that you are understanding the situation corrrectly. Allison Mead's quote is right on - why wasn't she informed immediately afterwards so she could lock her door that night? Most people dont think to lock their doors while they are in their room, but if you know that someone threatening is in your building you most certainly would not want to risk leaving your door unlocked.
I don't particularly think that you are really in any position to be making the assertions that you are making. Have some respect - you were not there and you are not a woman living in a building where a sexual assault was just committed. For you to call a concerned student a "moron" simply because she is speaking out to hopefully enhance the security at our school is plain uncalled for.
Regardless of the door-locking morals that were "instilled in you from a very young age," we could all benefit from an emergency notification system that allows us to take timely precautions when a threat is present.
Next time, it might be more appropriate for you to try and understand how some of the people on that floor (and around campus) must feel like before you decide to call them "stupid" and "morons."
Your comments are not helpful to the situation.
It seems like lots of students have noticed relaxed security in the East Campus area but nobody reported it. If you see a guard sleeping, then wake them up or tell your RA. If the GOCard machine is broken, it would make sense to tell someone about that too.
I understand that people feel safe at Georgetown and don't really think about the implication of not reporting these things until something horrible has happened. But then, you end up blaming somebody else for something that you really could have prevented. Do I think Securitas officers should be sleeping on the job? Of course not! But staying awake from 11pm to 7am isn't the easiest thing to do either, when all you get to do is sit there.
As a senior, I can say that this year we have had more security alerts than ever. With that being said, locking doors shouldn't even be questioned. Walking around by yourself at 3am has never been a good idea and will never be a good idea. A lot of these problems (no, not all of them) can be prevented with some common sense.
It's ok to, for lack of a better word, doubt the ability of the university to keep you safe. Taking those extra precautions will keep you safe. In four years, I have never been a victim of a security problem at Georgetown. Why? I lock my doors, even if I'm leaving to go to the bathroom for 3 minutes. I walk home with friends or take SafeRides, or spend the night at a friends' place if neither are an option.
Georgetown students are so smart (you wouldn't be here if you weren't!); I get really frustrated when I see people leaving doors unlocked and then you get your laptop and iPod stolen. Yes, we're on the Hilltop, away from the rest of DC, but it's not like a secret community that nobody's ever heard of either. We have a metrobus that comes straight to our main gate; the walk from Foggy Bottom or Rosslyn is only about 15-20 minutes. We're not completely isolated and therefore are targets for crime. Unless the university AND the students start taking action now, we'll become an even bigger target for crime in the future.
Here's the problem:
A lot of students are either: a. very forgetful or b. very two-faced. Don't lie to yourselves - PART of the reason that go-card security is lax; PART of the reason that doors aren't secured as well as they should be; PART of the reason that, from about 10pm Thursday night - 2am Sunday morning, when it is dark out, Georgetown students become particularly 'soft' targets; PART of the reason that a lot of break-ins etc. occur in townhouses (I could go on and do this but I'll stop here)
anyway, PART of the reason is because of students, and students' attitudes. Yes. you, fellow student, reading this blog post right now. And yes, me, the one writing it. We bitch if we have to wait too long to swipe in; we think it's ridiculous to have to sign guests in; we prop doors open; we plaster ourselves on weeekend so that we can barely walk home let alone defend ourselves in a physical confrontation; we leave our doors unlocked after parties etc.
Everyone is blaming DPS. Look, we know, DPS sucks. The DPS model has to fundamentally change. They need to double the pay rate, double the training time, negotiate with the city government to get FULL plenary shared powers (meaning: arrest, interrogation, investgation, evidence handling, and carrying armed weapons), they need to better profile the squads, etc. So yes, DPS sucks and I hope they step up their game.
But students suck too. Stop pretending it's otherwise. We're half of the problem. We aren't 4. We need to face reality: for some shi&&y reason or other, criminals have 'figured out' that Georgetown is a great target. And we are a great target. It's been trending like this really since 2004/2005 when they did that HUGE police presence augmentation in Southeast on a permanent basis. It pressured a lot of bad dudes to head over to gtown on weekends.
Anyway, yeah: reality is harsh. The harsh reality is we need to do our part to protect ourselves. Don't get pissed when you have to sign in your friend. DON'T tolerate propped open doors. Don't tolerate security guards - or student guards - asleep at their post, or not doing their job adequately. Don't throw a hissy-fit when you have to swipe your card. Don't get so wasted on the weekends that you can't properly walk yourself home. (In a group hopefully) Don't leave your doors unlocked. Don't leave your first floor windows open at night. Common sense sttuff people. We need to use it.
Marcus. I applaud you, sir. You have just summed up every issue and problem with the security on Campus. Thank you sir. I wish everyone thought like you. Then we'd have little or no problems. Seriously.
To "unknown,"
Don't fall victim to the easy fallacy of blaming Metrobus for bringing criminals to campus. Think about it: if you were a criminal, would you want to take the bus back from your raid? Imagine waiting around a bus stop, DVD player/computer/whatever it is underarm. You'd be asking to get noticed. My point is you wouldn't do it, and neither would most criminals.
There's an unfair, unsupported, and unhelpful assumption behind blaming Metrobus (and public transit in general) for brining crime to the area. The mentality behind this fallacy also explains why Georgetown doesn't have the benefit of a Metrorail station. That's kind of a big price to pay for a hazy assumption.
Hoya Alum '04
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