By CHRIS MORALES
STAFF WRITER
Rutgers students all agree on one thing regarding the recent crime around campus: There is little organization among security and the administration.
Some students say they’re worried about the job that security is doing around campus. Many feel that more needs to be done to keep campus safe.
Alan Meskin, a sophomore at Rutgers, is one of those students who feels that campus security is the biggest reason for the recent crime. He does not believe campus security is effective.
He said he sees campus security simply driving around looking for something to do.
“I feel like they just hand out parking tickets and bust house parties all day,” Meskin said. “If they put nearly as much effort into helping the local authorities prevent crimes as they do ruining students fun, this place would be a lot safer for everyone.”
Meskin thinks that more patrol over certain areas of campus would bring the number of incidents down significantly. Along with more patrol, he also believes that New Brunswick police should have a larger presence on campus, especially at night.
“I don’t think many people see campus security as much of a threat, honestly. But if more people see actual cops rolling through the streets, I’ll bet people will think twice before committing crimes,” Meskin said.
Other students say the college hasn’t done enough to protect its students. Many feel that the administration should put more in place to ensure the safety of those in the community.
Julie Bennett, also a sophomore, feels that the administration hasn’t established enough around campus to make students feel safe. One problem she has is the lack of information being relayed to students from those in charge.
“I get more information about the crimes from my friends then I do from those crime alerts sent by email,” Bennett said. “I think the whole email thing is kind of pointless. Let’s be honest, not everyone even checks their emails here.”
Bennett also notes that many changes need to be made around campus to make it safer for everyone. She feels that certain areas of campus should be better lit, so students walking at night don’t have to worry about an unseen assailant. She also agrees with Alan in regards to more police presence on campus, especially at night.
Perhaps the biggest problem Bennett has with the administration is the lack of emergency phone stations around campus.
“I’ve seen them on every other college campus, but for whatever reason Rutgers doesn’t seem to have any.” Bennett said. “I know that they are a huge deterrent for crime since they are so easily visible. The school needs to get its priorities straight.”
The recent crime has left many students very cautious. More precautions are being taken every day to avoid being another victim in the town.
Quinn McKay, also a sophomore, takes many precautions due to the increase in crime around campus.
“I always try and walk in a large group, especially when I’m out at night,” McKay said. “I also try and have at least one guy in the group in case something does happen. You just can’t be too careful with the way things have been lately.”
Quinn notes that she has walked around alone at night in the past, and that she won’t do it again as it was too scary for her. She said that she didn’t feel safe as anything could happen to her at any time.
As to whether she had any ideas on how to fix the problems with the lack of organization, her response was perhaps the most telling of all:
“I’m not sure what can be done to fix anything. All I know is that if something doesn’t happen soon, something a lot more serious could happen in the future.” |
