In an effort to improve campus security, the University recently announced that it would install security cameras in public areas around High and Low Rise, as well as a few additional sites on campus. And, while this move has aroused concern among students for several reasons, a more sensible response would be one of gratitude that the University is finally taking steps to improve student safety on the margins of campus.
As the growing list of muggings, thefts and other assorted crimes (including one shooting just off campus) in the William Street area have shown, residents of High and Low Rise are not exactly treated to the level of security that one would expect at an on-campus residence hall. By installing security cameras in the area, the University is making an effort to reduce criminal activity on campus and, while there are legitimate criticisms of the use of cameras, a reasonable treatment of the issue illustrates that the benefits far outweigh the potential drawbacks.
Perhaps the most obvious knee-jerk criticism of the installation of security cameras derives from the perpetual paranoia and mistrust that college students (especially this college’s students) have for university administrations. While this mistrust is often warranted, in this case it does not appear to be so. The fear that the University would disingenuously announce that it was installing cameras for security purposes and then use them as part of some sort of draconian crackdown on underage drinking is both unfounded and illogical.
If the University really wanted to crack down on underage drinking, they would install cameras all around underclassmen dorms. They would not waste their time with High and Low Rise, where half of the students are of legal drinking age. More to the point, the administration undoubtedly knows that the use of surveillance cameras to bust students would create a controversy sure to besiege North College until the policy was reversed. Also, the stated goal of the policy is to use the footage as a tool to help identify and prosecute suspects after a crime has been committed; it is not designed to bust 20-year-olds with open cans of beer.
A more salient and thoughtful criticism of the new policy is exemplified in last month’s Wespeak, “Time to rethink video surveillance,” by Lucas Guilkey (March 28, Volume CXLIII, Number 35), which argued that the installation of security cameras would make the campus less welcoming to Middletown residents. While this is a valid concern, I feel that it is somewhat exaggerated, and it ignores the fact that there are serious security issues that must be addressed one way or another.
First off, the idea that the presence of security cameras would make Middletown residents less comfortable may be true to a certain extent, but it fails to take into account the blunt truth that security cameras are only actually threatening to those who are intent on committing a crime—individuals that we don’t exactly want to welcome with open arms. It may be true that some residents will feel illogically threatened by the cameras even though they have no intention of committing a crime, but if this is really a big concern, simply publicizing the specific purpose and use of the cameras would go a long way toward solving the issue.
Secondly, this argument ignores the fact that improving security inevitably involves trade-offs, in this case by reducing the feeling of openness on parts of campus. When considering such a tradeoff, we have to set priorities—and it seems clear that student safety should be the higher one. If installing security cameras can effectively deter crime in the area, and the only expense is a slight reduction in the campus’ openness, then I think that we have to deem the policy worthwhile.
Perhaps most importantly, security and openness are not necessarily mutually exclusive. If students are worried about damaging the University’s reputation amongst Middletown residents, then they can push for more community outreach and partnership programs that bring residents on to campus. This kind of approach—one that strives for a balance between security and openness—is the right way to proceed. The installation of security cameras in some of the campus’s more dangerous spots is as good a place as any to start.
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