The York University Student Centre’s board of directors has decided to increase security surveillance and lighting in the building.
Cameras will be installed facing the exits of the building, and lighting in the walkway and exterior of the building will be increased.
Jessica Thyriar, York Federation of Students president and spokesperson for the board of directors, says after discussions with stakeholders and groups in the Student Centre, a compromise was made to increase surveillance for safety reasons, but also ensure student privacy.
“We needed to find a balance between ensuring that folks who use the space for various reasons, such as support services, felt comfortable [and that their information remained confidential] and ensuring other students did feel safe when using the building,” says Thyriar.
Imran Mohamed, third-year kinesiology and psychology major, says the change is a positive one.
“It’s not exactly monitoring student activities inside the Student Centre. We still have our sense of privacy, [but] we know who is coming in and who is leaving,” says Mohamed.
Mohamed adds that while he supports the decision to add cameras facing the exits, he would not feel comfortable with cameras being installed in the food court or by the couches upstairs.
“If there is a sense of people watching you, you just do not feel right. It doesn’t add to the festivities or the atmosphere [that the Student Centre is trying to promote],” says Mohamed.
Thyriar says the board of directors is constantly reviewing ways to improve the Student Centre and ensure students feel safe.
“I think it’s important for the community to come together in various ways to share various things that we can do in regards to safety, and if we continue having these discussions and [making] efforts to actually put these things forward, it’s more of a community,” says Thyriar.
Currently, York has over 660 CCTV cameras overlooking parking lots, buildings, and classrooms, but there are none in the Student Centre.
Victoria Alarcon
Assistant News Editor
With files from Michael Burton
