Dec 29, 2014

Keeping a campus safe should be a top priority for every institution of higher learning. After all, a well-guarded university is one that people will feel comfortable attending. Losing sight of security at the college administrative level can lead students and parents to lose faith in the institution’s ability to protect its attendees. More significantly, it can jeopardize the safety of those at the school. At the University of California, Riverside, such safety issues once loomed over the campus. But the university sprung into action to rectify them.

A crime problem on campus
Back in February 2013, UCR was dealing with a major surge in violent crimes on its campus, according to The Highlander. Within the span of a month, there had been a rash of robberies and thefts, and in some instances guns had been involved. These kinds of crimes weren’t normal for UCR, and they prompted conversations on campus about proactive measures that could be taken to stop them. Soon, a task force was assembled to address the issue.

The problem, the task force agreed, was that the active police presence on campus wasn’t enough to keep the crimes at bay. While the University of California Police Department was a dependable resource in combating crime, the task force decided that additional security measures should be taken to augment campus policing. These included better lighting of walkways, emergency boxes and surveillance cameras.

Wireless surveillance is deployed to reduce crime at UCR
Thanks to the significant strides taken by the University Task Force on Safety, UCR has come a long way since 2013 in terms of security – and a large part of its improvements center on video surveillance solutions. The university’s surveillance network includes 14 recently installed wireless cameras. They were placed at various strategic locations around campus to ensure that potentially risky areas remain under protective watch.

There are many situations in which the cameras will prove useful. Say, for instance, that a robbery happens on a campus street late at night. Officials will be able to use the video feeds to see what happened in detail and therefore have a better chance of nabbing a culprit. But the cameras will also be an indispensable tool for crimes in progress. If, for example, there’s a fleeing suspect or a criminal police chase, the live feeds from the cameras can be tapped in order to locate and arrest the offender.

“Given the circumstances, (the cameras) are a welcome addition because it is important to give students a sense of security,” said Michael Rosenbaum, a UCR student and music major.

Rosenbaum’s quote undoubtedly reflects the feelings of many other students who will feel a greater sense of safety as they walk to and from class and to social events at night. No student should have to feel unsafe on their college campus, and thanks to UCR’s recent security overhaul, they won’t have to.

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