Better safety procedures at BBC are needed

Brea Jones/ Staff Writer

As a freshman living in the dorms, it can be a little worrisome. We hear about the day to day dangers of college and wonder what is being done to ensure student safety on campus. The biggest concern for parents and students is the safety of dorms.

FIU does its best but the difference in safety measures between MMC’s dorms and BBC’s dorms is quite obvious. Although Bayview provides some safety precautions, it is no Fort Knox as it’s a bit more lax with safeguard.

When visiting my friends at MMC, I could not even make it to the elevator or stairs without checking in first. They wrote my name down, checked my ID and signed me in. Even though I was a student, they still wanted to make sure they were aware of who they were letting in.

At BBC, however, that is not the case. Because Bayview is so small, we easily recognize the faces of the residence. Visitors are able to walk in as they please without checking in or out with the front desk receptionists.

The only thing that prevents an intruder from getting into Bayview is the lack of access keys to enter inside. If they don’t have a key, intruders can simply walk around to the side door and gain entry that way. The only time that all the entrance doors are locked is at night.

Night is the only time campus security patrol Bayview. At least two on-duty cops circle Bayview and its parking lot and ride around Bayview every night in order to make sure everything is up to par.

One constant security provisions at Bayview is the cameras on every floor. Another way Bayview tried to make sure everyone was safe was by placing an emergency call button in every room.

The button allows residents to get in contact with campus police instantly in case there is any emergency occurring. The button is extremely useful. Fellow Bayview residents and I are much more comfortable in my room knowing that the button is there.

There are also Resident Assistants (RAs) on every floor just in case a resident has an emergency. If residents are not sure where to find their floor RA, there is an RA on call.

An RA is given the building phone that students can call if they need help with a situation. Having a duty phone is a good idea, but RA’s don’t always answer the phone.

There has been plenty of times where I have been inconvenienced because an RA wasn’t answering the phone. Although these situations were not life threatening, one can only think about what would happen if they were.

The RA’s were also given training during the summer on what to do in case of an active shooter. They are also required to walk around the inside of the building and make sure that nothing suspicious is occuring.

But on the weekends,  the RA’s are not at the desk and so, no one is watching who comes in and out of Bayview.

The FIU campus security currently watch over Bayview and the FIU campus. That is very convenient but also a little worrisome.

What if something is happening at Bayview while campus security is on campus? How long will it take for them to arrive at Bayview? Imagine the damage that could have been done before they even arrived.

I think Bayview’s managers should consider hiring a security guard who can be at Bayview most of the time, just to ensure our safety 24/7.

Although the RA’s are here most of the time and have undergone training, they have not had all the necessary training that a security guard has had.

The efforts made by Bayview are noticed and appreciated but I feel as though more can be done. Nowadays, you can never be too cautious.

 

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of Panther Press Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash.