Security issues hit campuses here and nationwide

Just how safe are our college campuses? Four mishaps on campuses across the nation this past month is proof that security loopholes are prevalent everywhere. On September 3, a Spelman College student was fatally shot while walking through the Atlanta University Center. That weekend, a 17-year-old boy was taken into custody after firing a gun after a football game on the campus of Florida A&M University. A little over a week later, a graduate student at Yale University vanished leaving all personals behind in a lab. On Friday, a van was spotted driving around University of Southern California’s campus offering female students shuttles to class.What do all these incidents have in common? All were considered isolated after investigations by campus law enforcement. This is alarming especially when colleges are near less than desirable, crime-ridden neighborhoods. Miscreants that may infringe upon the safety of students, or other civilians may not be able to be prevented from entering campus at random. Campus law enforcements may be able to make more innovative approaches to ensure the safety of its jurisdiction outside the purchase of the latest technologies and pursuit vehicles. Take our own campus for instance, FAMU PD are equipped with new Segways to monitor campus activities; parking enforcement has new golf cart style vehicles to be able to efficiently deliver a barrage of red tape to students. Take a moment to ponder, do the blue emergency alarms really work? Can the creepy guy that’s always at the bus stop when the sun goes down readily present a proper student ID if questioned? Questions like these should be hard pressed when discussing campus security issues with university law enforcement, the administration, and student government officials. Jason Lawrence for the editorial board