Students Have Mixed Reactions to ID Access Locks
by
Latoya McInnis
For years students have been told that card access locks would be installed in the dorms. But now prohibited activity and the growing crime rate on campus has placed more pressure on the job that has been neglected.
“I’m scared,” said Crystal Johnson, 19, Greenville. “I won’t sit in the lobby at night anymore and I am afraid to take a shower at night. I’ll wait until everyone [dorm mates] is up [socializing outside their rooms]. Johnson said it is hard for her to sleep at night, without worrying about whom is walking pass her room.
This is the reaction that most girls have about their safety in the dorms. Locking the dorms down and installing card readers could bring a sense of security to the residents. “I think it’s great to have locks on the doors. We need it [card readers],” said Johnson.
“We have the card access locks in Berkshire working. The card access locks in New Women’s Dorm were up as well, but they accidentally installed the wrong ones,” said Harold Jones, director of residential life, in a previous interview. “It is a matter of taking those out and replacing them with the right ones. The only problem would be in Renner and A.A. Branch. A.A. Branch is a little more difficult.”
Jones said the doors would be fixed so that males who reside in A.A. Branch enter through house 4 and females that reside in A.A. Branch enter through house 1.
Previously Jones said most of the dorms should be secure with card access locks by the time the students returned from Thanksgiving break.
Locking the buildings will increase safety within the dorms. However, students have mixed reactions about the decision. “I don’t want them to lock all the doors,” said Shida Brooks, 19, from Kansas City, Missouri, and a resident of A.A. Branch. “I think at least the door in house one should be left open. Sometimes we lose our keys and people don’t want to be bothered with coming out of their rooms to open the door.”
“Systems and cameras were installed so that campus security can monitor New Women’s Dorm, Berkshire, and A.A. Branch,” said Earnest Manuel, Chief of Security. “After construction Renner Hall will also have systems and cameras installed. However, the card access locks only work in A.A. Branch, Berkshire Dorm, and Renner Hall, because the doors in New Women were not remotely connected to the cameras, which is on a single server and we are looking for funding for it to be installed, “ said Manuel. “However, it [New Women’s] is still secure without the card access locks,” said Gregory Waters, Security lieutenant.
In a recent interview Jones said, “The card access locks should be reloaded in every dorm by Friday [Jan. 3].” Jones stated that the installation of the card access locks was not completed over the holidays because they had to reload the systems due to the returning and withdrawal of students for the next semester. Jones said, “It would make no sense to load them over the holidays when we would have to reload them when the students got back. I want to make sure Renner is completed first since the card access locks were never installed there.” Jones stated that if the card access locks are not loaded by Friday, “We’ll make some noise.”
