Summer campus crime rates cause uneasiness in returning students
Melissa Sundardas
News Editor
In the wake of multiple sexual assaults, a robbery, and multiple cases of unknown males invading women’s washrooms in the Vari Hall area, students say security officers should increase patrolling of this area.
Located at the heart of the university, Vari Hall draws in lots of traffic, and many students travel through and around the building to get to lecture halls, bus stops, and other areas on Keele campus.
“I think it would be a good idea for more security patrol around Vari Hall considering the recent crimes that have occurred here,” says Delilah Signar, a fourth-year children’s studies major.
“Just because Vari Hall isn’t much of a secluded spot doesn’t mean it should be ignored; we are seeing crime increase here lately so this area should be given more attention.”
Although Joanne Rider of York media says York security patrols the campus on a regular basis and will be increasing security presence, she was unable to comment on whether specific areas on campus—namely, crime ‘hot spots’ on campus about which the York community raised safety concerns—would see increased patrolling in the future.
“[York security services] would adjust the plan based on what they determine the need would be, but it could potentially compromise their security plan if they were to reveal their plans,” says Rider.
Adrienne Middlebrook, a fourth-year communication studies major, suggests York should relocate the security office to the centre of Vari Hall for better exposure.
“It’s the centre of action for campus so it only makes sense [for the security office to be in Vari Hall] especially in the evening hours,” she says. “I feel there should be officers and maybe GoSafe staff members to escort students around.”
Vanessa Hunt of the York Federation of Students says there have been past incidents where security members were stationed in various areas to deter crime, but that those with criminal intentions always managed to find a way around them.
Hunt’s major concern, however, is that creating a larger security presence targeted around Vari Hall or any other ‘hot spot’ could almost create a “smarter criminal” who can avoid the officers. She says York should instead alter its way of thinking about crime from the roots.
“I think for some people, [increased security presence] makes them feel safer,” she says. “But if we really want to start targeting the issue of safety it has to come from a community collective of really shifting that focus and dialogue around how we are going to get to the root of this problem.”
