Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

DPS Ramps Up Village A Security

The Department of Public Safety has implemented a number of security measures to prevent more crimes in Village A, following reports of four burglaries and an attempted burglary in the apartment complex in October.

Among the moves are a rise in night patrols in Village A and on nearby Prospect Street and Library Walk, as well as increased, brighter lighting features in Village A public areas, monitors of overnight vehicular access to campus and personal safety consultations for Village A residents.

At a Village A community meeting Monday evening, DPS officials outlined the new measures and solicited feedback from students.

“We are trying a multi-faceted approach to meeting our immediate security needs. We have a strong security presence, and we’re trying to work with students to find a solution,” DPS Associate Director Joseph Smith said at the meeting.

While students at the meeting said that they appreciated the boost in security, they did express reservations.

“The presence of DPS has been huge and, frankly speaking, fairly creepy. It feels intrusive,” Alyssa Lichtenberger (COL ’12) said.

Smith responded by saying that DPS was not trying to violate students’ personal space but was trying to be a resource for students with security concerns.

Although participation was sparse, with only five students in attendance, Office of Residence Life Associate Director Ed Gilhool, who facilitated the meeting, said that he was pleased by the feedback. He said that at last week’s community meeting, about 20 students had been in attendance.

But students not present at Monday’s meeting noticed the shake-up in security.

“They’ve done a lot with the security measures,” resident Mike Manchester (MSB ’12) said. “You can’t walk around Village A without seeing at least one security guard. And that spotlight [in Lauinger parking lot] is freaking huge.”

While the safety consultations for Village A students are optional, the university strongly urged all apartments to sign up for the program. As part of the session, DPS and ResLife representatives will meet with students to direct them on personal safety, locking procedures and facilities queries for individual residences, according to university spokeswoman Julie Bataille.

Some students voiced concerns over the effectiveness of the measures.

“To me, it seems like they need more permanent changes to Village A security because even if they do scare this burglar off, there is no clear plan in place to actually prevent future burglars from having the same ability to break into our apartments as they did one month ago,” John Leader (MSB ’12) said.

Others said they witnessed a lack of security in the Village A area on a structural level.

“Maybe it’s a testament to the fact that Village A is the only open dorm on campus,” Manchester said. “Maybe the university needs to rethink whether it should be a swipe-access facility.”

Smith said that DPS was considering comprehensively changing Village A security by making the apartment complex gated, with controlled access, fences and stationed security officers like in many residence halls.

The increased safety measures are part of a long-term move toward better campus security, according to university officials.

“These areas are constantly evaluated, with security measures taken as needed, in order to provide saturation of the area,” Bataille said. “These efforts will change over time as needed.”

Rocco DelMonaco, vice president for university safety, said that the security push is merely the next step in a gradual process toward eradicating crime on campus.

“We are pushing up visibility and taking further steps,” DelMonaco said. “This is another tier up in creating a safer community.”

DelMonaco also said that DPS was implementing more intelligence-led policing – patrols targeted to ward areas where crime occurs frequently. But this is not the first time that DPS has ramped up its security measures as a reaction to persistent crime in the past year.

In March, a string of burglaries in university-owned student townhouses on 36th Street prompted a surge in safety efforts and a heightened police presence in the area, similar to the ongoing initiatives in the Village A area. In March, before the increased security, four burglaries or attempted burglaries occurred on 36th Street. After the Metropolitan Police Department and DPS actions in the area, one burglary was reported, in April.

No burglaries have been reported in Village A since the new measures were implemented. DelMonaco declined to comment on the progress of the investigation, which is being led by MPD.

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