COMMENTARY/Is this campus safe?

Panther file photo

Claflin University has a gate unattended by Goff Avenue, which is unsafe considering the fact that there is a road open to the public that allows anyone to easily come in.

There should be security at both security gates, rather than only one side being unattended to help prevent any on-campus crimes. The unattended gate is basically allowing anyone to come in, regardless of their intentions, and can lead to bigger on-campus issues.

We have plenty of security but usually only have one officer at the Magnolia gate, which allows cars in. There should be a security guard at the Goff gate as well, regardless of whether it is open to allow cars in. We were promised good and safe security, so we should have that.

Campus security policies and obligations are destined to deal with the well-being of students and often focus on how graduates are treated by colleges and universities during the whole of their academic experience, from admission through commencement.

Students who were surveyed responded that they favored normal practices that were proposed to improve campus security and protection. Students signified restricted support for concealed carry of firearms, even though that concealed carry has turned into a repeatedly debated policy.

Results showed females are less likely to feel as though their campus is secure.

One probable approach to increase comprehensive ideas of security would be to try reconstructing campus safety measures. Since comfort with campus protection measures has the strongest and most critical effect on concepts of security between institution students, administrators must supply the sufficiency and quality of campus security appearance in the physical surroundings. Sufficient lighting, approachable parking lots and emergency telephone poles, police escort services after dark, increased patrols in extreme-risk places, and more measures showing institutional attempts to secure the surroundings can increase ideas of security between college students. 

We know that you could and should report any crimes on campus, but we also must take into consideration the number of unreported cases there may be. There are multiple situations where a person might be too scared to say something because they either do not want to get themselves hurt or be accused of lying, whether it may be seeing someone breaking into a car, or a more personal and scarier situation of sexual assault or harassment upon an individual.

There are plenty of reasons as to why victims decide not to go to the police: The victim not wanting anyone to be aware of the incident, they do not understand what constitutes rape, they are afraid the police will not believe them and they do not know how much control they will have after they report to the police. Rape is not the only crime to occur on a campus, but it is a quite common one, along with burglary and motor theft.

No matter where a college or university campus is found, supplying proper campus security for students should be an institution's number one priority. It is so important for an institution to have some type of seminar to allow all students, new or old, to know the way their campus works when it comes to emergencies and/or reporting crimes, while also allowing them to do so in a safe and protective manner. 

Iyana Kinard is a Claflin freshman criminal justice major from Greenville.