In light of the attacks early Sunday morning that occurred outside of LoRise, it is time for the Wesleyan community to finally rethink safety on this campus. There are problems mounting that are larger than last fall’s laptop thefts.
Public Safety responded properly in response to Sunday’s attack, arriving quickly and staying with the students until they were admitted to the hospital. For adequate prevention, however, a quick response is not enough. The mere arrival of a Public Safety car to the scene on Sunday morning scattered the attackers, but if they had been patrolling campus more heavily, the incident conceivably would have stopped after the first attack. Again, this is not Public Safety’s fault, but rather an indication there is a need for a stronger presence on campus. The Administration’s proposal to cut shuttle hours now seems especially inappropriate.
Public Safety should take further advantage of their ability to prevent violent behavior by increasing their presence on campus through increased car patrols. Foot patrols, however, should not be extended into the LoRise area. This policy would promote the ideal that Public Safety is providing security rather than acting as a deterrent for the enjoyment of students’ weekends.
It is important to remember in these circumstances, however, that this is not an opportunity to stigmatize members of the Middletown community, specifically those living in the area surrounding campus. Wesleyan is an open campus that is an integral part of the community, and were the working relationship with Middletown disrupted, violent interactions between students and residents would doubtlessly increase. By maintaining personal safety while remaining respectful of local communities, incidents of violence can be reduced and avoided in the future.
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