Safety and security at Georgetown College: October Edition

Safety and security at Georgetown College: October Edition

By DEMETRIUS HARRISON News Editor

It’s no secret that campus has fallen victim to a string of crimes throughout the semester; however, it seems to remain a mystery as to how we are going to recover from these events.

The townhouses on campus have attracted the most crime – primarily Hambrick Village. Since freshman orientation weekend, there have been three unacceptable events that have taken place at Hambrick Village, leaving the community in greater fear with each occurence. The weekend before classes began, a student’s vehicle was found on cinderblocks following (a local) stealing her tires and siphoning her gas.

The student immediately called the police; however, they were unable to identify the culprits due to the surveillance cameras at Hambrick being blocked by a lamppost, resulting in nighttime footage being too hazy to use.

This leads me to ask why has the camera not been repositioned, or why the lamppost is still there? Yes, while it is a possibility that another student’s car gets vandalized. However there is a greater risk that a student can be assaulted walking to and from the parking lot. More recently, there was a break–in at Hambrick.

Less than a week following the incident, there were two armed robbers who cut through campus, attracting several police to campus. What is our plan of action to prevent these crimes from being repeated?

Personally, I believe each townhouse should be provided with security alarms, but I understand that can be an extremely expensive investment. But are safety measures such as these too expensive to invest in?

In an interview with LeRon Collier of Student Life, he informed me that there are, in fact, plans to revamp the school’s security efforts, which may give you some comfort. Residents of East Campus, Hambrick and Rucker will be getting peepholes installed to further safety and security. LeRon has also informed me that five new security cameras have been placed throughout campus within the past academic year in areas of high concern.

Lastly, LeRon mentioned that Campus Safety is working with the IT Department on the surveillance camera issues in Hambrick Village. The two departments are working congruently to implement a plan to rid the issue of the nighttime footage being blurred on the Hambrick surveillance tape, which may help instill a sense of security in townhouse residents.

LeRon has also given some advice directly to every student on campus regarding his or her individual safety. It is encouraged that students walk in pairs or a group to take preventative measures, lock your door behind you even if leaving for a short length of time and never hesitate to contact Campus Safety if you would like an escort or feel unsafe.

LeRon also noted that while it is important to take preventative measures in safety, it is never okay to place blame on the victim in the event of any altercation or assault.