2008 Woodie Awards
Public Safety blindly blamed for Campus Life room searches
Dan Etter
Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Forum
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When anger motivates, it drives you blindly.
This is the case in the allegations that Public Safety is responsible for items lost over fall break. Victims of the thefts aren't being sensible; they're looking for anyone to blame and they have aimed their accusations at the only people able to help them recover their items, Public Safety.
The "Health and Safety Inspections" authorized by Campus Life occurred over fall break. Campus Life staff entered rooms to make sure that fire alarms weren't covered, that windows weren't broken, and that everything appeared to be normal. If drug paraphernalia was present, an in-depth search of the room proceeded.
Although not always participating in the searches, Public Safety sometimes accompanied Campus Life only to help lock and unlock doors. If an individual room in a suite or apartment was left unlocked, staff left it unlocked after the search. If it was locked before the search, it was relocked. In residence halls, all doors were locked after searches were completed.
Some students complained that their doors weren't relocked. In one suite, a roommate staying over break reported that he found his suite-mate's room not only unlocked, but wide open after the search.
Of course, Campus Life isn't going to purposefully do this to a student, but mistakes do happen. If you want to blame somebody, know who's at fault before you do. Campus Life performs these searches, not Public Safety.
During the searches, any items causing a fire hazard were taken into custody: candles, incense, toaster ovens, open-coiled hot plates, and anything with any type of open flame or heat source. A few of the complaints of items stolen have been this type of material, items that are prohibited and would be confiscated at any point in the school year.
With an open campus, outsiders have a week to check buildings, find unlocked windows, or even take note of the few people on campus and whether or not they lock their doors.
This is the case in the allegations that Public Safety is responsible for items lost over fall break. Victims of the thefts aren't being sensible; they're looking for anyone to blame and they have aimed their accusations at the only people able to help them recover their items, Public Safety.
The "Health and Safety Inspections" authorized by Campus Life occurred over fall break. Campus Life staff entered rooms to make sure that fire alarms weren't covered, that windows weren't broken, and that everything appeared to be normal. If drug paraphernalia was present, an in-depth search of the room proceeded.
Although not always participating in the searches, Public Safety sometimes accompanied Campus Life only to help lock and unlock doors. If an individual room in a suite or apartment was left unlocked, staff left it unlocked after the search. If it was locked before the search, it was relocked. In residence halls, all doors were locked after searches were completed.
Some students complained that their doors weren't relocked. In one suite, a roommate staying over break reported that he found his suite-mate's room not only unlocked, but wide open after the search.
Of course, Campus Life isn't going to purposefully do this to a student, but mistakes do happen. If you want to blame somebody, know who's at fault before you do. Campus Life performs these searches, not Public Safety.
During the searches, any items causing a fire hazard were taken into custody: candles, incense, toaster ovens, open-coiled hot plates, and anything with any type of open flame or heat source. A few of the complaints of items stolen have been this type of material, items that are prohibited and would be confiscated at any point in the school year.
With an open campus, outsiders have a week to check buildings, find unlocked windows, or even take note of the few people on campus and whether or not they lock their doors.
