Recent crime reports on campus have startled students and their parents — alerts concerning a kidnapping, an attempted kidnapping and a shooting near Laville Hall.
The university put out a statement Thursday saying the kidnappings didn’t occur and that the shooting wasn’t a random crime.
Still, the reports have concerned LSU parents, who’ve taken matters into their own hands after scarce information from the university. Parents rushed to Facebook to spread news of the reported crime on campus and share their worries.
The university needs to do more to address the safety concerns of students and their parents — outside another email telling us they take our security “very seriously.” It was only on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 2, that the university provided an in-depth email with information about each investigation.
The university is working toward safety by putting police around dorms at night, LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard told BR Proud. LSU also offers self defense classes to students.
While this is a step toward progress, it doesn’t attack the root cause of the matter. The point is that students shouldn’t need to defend themselves at school, ever. College should be a safe place where students and staff can come, handle their business and go home.
A major factor of the crime stems from the location of dorms. Cypress, Cedar Hall and Spruce Hall sit on the west-side of campus. Right next to those dorms is a busy street that never rests. With no barrier to separate school grounds from public grounds, anyone can stroll onto campus and potentially cause harm.
Thousands of freshmen are from outside Louisiana, which only heightens anxieties for themselves and their families.
This isn’t a good look for the university. One could argue that danger is everywhere. While that is true, people pay to attend college, and no one deserves to fear for their life while walking to a class they paid for. Students and their families pay entirely too much money in tuition and other additional fees to feel unsafe on campus.
Because the university is a public institution, it receives a sizable portion of its funding from the state. The university is widely championed by residents across Louisiana and, as a result, the campus is completely open to anyone who would like to visit. Guests can even visit Mike the Tiger whenever they’d like.
Making the university such a spectacle invites both wanted and unwanted guests. The safety of students should come before tourist attractions on campus.
Since LSU is a business before it’s a school, let’s talk about money. Not protecting students on campus jeopardizes the investment and future of the university. Out-of-state students and alumni contribute heavily to the university’s revenue.
Finding money for a safe campus shouldn’t be a challenge.
It’ll be to the university’s own demise if administrators continue to downplay safety concerns. Prospective students and their families may deem the university too dangerous and decide to not apply. If this happens en masse, the university’s pockets may start to hurt.
Moving forward, there’s plenty of solutions the university can implement to ensure a safe environment. In addition to LSU police presence, hiring security guards for the residential halls can make a big difference. Having in-house protection can ease the minds of students and their loved ones.
Having student desk staff adds to the safety issue on campus. Like everyone else, those students have class and other social events to attend. So, the front desk is often left vacant and unattended. Hiring a staff not composed of college students guarantees someone is at the desk and monitoring who enters and exits the building.
Money is not an issue for the university. Focusing that money toward safety measures protects both students and the university’s self-interest.
Putting these solutions in place not only helps with safety but improves the reputation of the university. Administrators should take this time to show that students are more than just a check to them.
Jemiah Clemons is an 18-year-old kinesiology freshman from Miami, Florida.
