“I don’t understand why they would need to [check StagCards] considering we have parking stickers blatantly on the front of the cars that prove we go to Fairfield,” said Caroline Quinn ’09.
It’s fine, Fairfield. Tell us how you really feel.
According to last week’s edition of The Mirror, many students said they were peeved about a new security policy involving more rigorous StagCard checks at the main entrance of campus.
My reaction: Really?
Let’s take a trip down memory lane for some perspective. The tragic massacre at Virginia Tech took place on April 16 of last year. Merely one month ago, shootings at Northern Illinois University and Louisiana Tech College occurred in a seven-day span.
Closer to home, three non-students – one of whom was carrying a concealed weapon – were involved in an altercation in Regis Hall this past December. A shooting was averted, but it was a legitimate threat nonetheless.
Meanwhile at Fairfield, students complain that pulling out a StagCard to show an officer at the gate after a late night trip to the beach is a bit much.
Is it a nuisance? Definitely. A hassle? I guess.
I know that the words “Mirror” and “Public Safety” often clash when used in the same sentence, but the truth is that the recent changes in gate policy are little more than a formality; campus officials often approach cars at night when entering campus, especially on weekends.
The new StagCard policy is just a part of a new plan in campus security instituted by Public Safety.
These new procedures are clearly a reaction, not only to campus shootings nationwide, but also to the incident in Regis Hall.
On that night, Public Safety and Fairfield Police were on the scene “quickly,” and deployed the e-mail, phone and text message emergency system, a program developed in the wake of the Virginia Tech incident. It has been tested frequently since last spring.
While the system is impressive, it is debatable whether a new emergency response system, or even a more rigorous policy at campus entrances, will prevent an incident like the night at Regis Hall from occurring again.
Frankly, campus safety at Fairfield is a catch-22. Students will complain if any rights are infringed upon, while officials must cope with threats on a variety of levels.
At Fairfield, the two are generally balanced.
For instance, a friend recently told me that York College in Pennsylvania has campus safety rather than resident assistants at check-in desks at every dorm and apartment.
Iona College and Providence College implement similar security systems.
Do we really want ID checks outside of Campion Hall?
An intricate camera system, a strong emergency response system and StagCard swipe-ins make Fairfield a more secure campus.
Still, it isn’t very difficult to get into another dorm after hours or have a friend from home visit for the weekend without filling out a form.
In theory, it unfortunately does make a lot of sense that three non-students coming back from a bar somehow found a way into campus on that December night.
The words of Director of Public Safety Tom Pelazza in reaction to the Regis incident illustrate it best.
“We do, however, remind everyone to lock your doors … never prop outside building doors open, report any suspicious persons.”
Translation: We will do all we can. It still may not be enough.
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