What Are We Paying Public Safety For?

I appreciate Loyola Marymount University for making a great effort in keeping its student’s safe because everyone does not have that privilege at their university that they are supposed to call home. As a woman, I feel comfortable walking home from the library alone late at night, I’ve accidentally left my door open and no one has robbed my apartment, and I even leave my laptop at a desk for 2-3 minutes while I’m in the library. However, I will say that I do not attribute my constant feeling of safeness to the campus security, Department of Public Safety.

I am a bit confused on exactly Public Safety’s role is in ensuring safety on this campus because it seems as if they are more concerned with catching students drinking or smoking marijuana. If there are students being a bit loud on a Friday or Saturday night, Public Safety is there ready with their pen and paper. When there is a student on the bluff who could possibly be smoking marijuana, Public Safety is excited to take them down. I am not supporting the fact that students should be allowed to drink or smoke, nor am I arguing for their rights as college students, but I do not think they should be the main concern of as they please, but I do not think that should be Public Safety’s main concern.

When reading today’s Loyolan I learned about an estranged man that managed to live in the study room of a residence hall reserved for freshman boys for two to three weeks. During the span of his lengthy stay, he managed to take Apple laptops, a purse, five hundred dollars, and more. While the residents of that dorm hall could have been more cautious, it is Public Safety’s duty to ensure these things do not occur. Ironically, the dorm that was robbed blind my the middle aged man is located directly across the street from the Department of Public Safety. To this I ask, what are we paying Public Safety for?

When I returned from my semester abroad, I was shocked to learn that Public Safety began to charge $150 to students who call for assistance when they are locked out of their rooms. Public Safety claimed that they spend too much time giving students access to their rooms when there is more crime to fight on campus. There are other resources to obtain a one card during the day, but if Public Safety wanted to keep its students safe there would be alternative options during night time. If a student is coming home from the library at 3am and realizes they cannot locate their One Card, walking across campus alone that late at night cannot be the most safe options when there are always Public Safety officers in the office with vehicles that can drive to let them in. After all, it is that students tuition that pays their salary.

I don’t mean to bash Public Safety and discredit the good they do bring to the campus, but I think it is time for Public Safety to shift their focus on what is a threat to this campus.