Siena Heights University Public Safety Officer Jeff Myers had a lot to say about the safety on the SHU campus. When asked about the reported recent break-ins on the residence hall balconies, he said, “I do believe that there has been reports and stuff filed for that, and I do know that Cindy Birdwell, the director (of Public Safety) as well as Deputy Director Todd Koch – they both looked into it.” Some may be wondering if anyone was caught, and Myers said, “I don’t believe so.”

Is there enough being done to keep students safe at Siena Heights?

“Yes, I believe there’s enough being done,” he said. “Compared to last year, we’ve already had less reports so far from the first couple of weeks than we’ve had last year or the year prior. I think it’s the quality of the officers working. We’re taking a more proactive approach as well as working more hand-in-hand with Residence Life and the RAs (Resident Assistants) and stuff like that. I think it’s helping keep things like that down.”

Many students have said that anybody can walk into the dorms on campus. Myers said, “That topic has been brought up. It’s not just an issue with DPS, it’s also with the RAs as well and with Residence Life.”

He said anyone entering the residence halls used to have to check in. He said that isn’t happening at the moment, citing lack of manpower and coordination with Residence Life.

Couldn’t more staff be hired?

“Yes, and we’re trying to, but there’s not a lot of interest from the students for dispatch,” Myers said. Dispatch is a work-study program manned by students, and he said there hasn’t been much interest in students working for DPS.

Another solution could be to hire outside of the university.

“Yes, but then again, I don’t know exactly how the dispatch goes of hiring outside,”Myers said. “I know a couple of the officers have also made a point of asking maybe having a part-time officer work over there instead of just relying on students.”

Many college and universities of all different sizes are utilizing some type of card-sliding identification system. For example, large universities, such as Western Michigan University, have done it.

Myers said, “I went to Western for two years, and I know how hard it was that there was no possible way of sneaking in.” He said students at Western are required to have their card in order to go inside their building at night.

Large schools are not the only ones who are incorporating the card-sliding system. Small schools, such as Adrian College located in the same county, are using this system. Adrian’s campus isn’t much larger than SHU’s, but it is still incorporating this type of system.

If Adrian has incorporated these systems, we believe Siena definitely should. The only problems are funding and maintenance. Not only would Siena have to wire all the doors, but also set up the system to work with the IDs of the students living in the dorms.

“If it was up to me, I think they should do it for the rooms, too,” Myers said. “It’s much harder to lose your ID than to lose a key.”

Do you feel safe on campus? If students were to petition to Student Government they felt unsafe on campus, this ID system would a good place to start.

SPECTRA