Despite numerous upgrades to the South 40’s security, past incidents have revealed that a flaw with campus security still remains. Just a few weeks ago, a student was robbed at gunpoint in front of a residence hall. During the past winter break, 13 suites were broken into and burglarized. Last year, a student was sexually assaulted and robbed in her own room. In all of these crimes, the perpetrators were not students but outsiders to the Washington University community who were able to freely enter and leave the South 40. Only students, their guests and visitors to the University should be allowed on the South 40, as the South 40 is private property and does not hold events that are open to the public. Precautions should be taken so that access to the South 40 by outsiders is more limited and detectable for the sake of student safety.
It is noteworthy that all of the aforementioned past crimes occurred in close proximity to the south entrance to the South 40. Compared to the north, the south of the South 40 seems to be more prone to attract criminals for two reasons. First, the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) station is located in the north. Second, the south region of the South 40 is much easier to pass through undetected due to its entrance and enclosing fence. Not only is the south entrance not as well-lit as the north entrances, but also fewer students tend to circulate through the south entrance, because the south entrance leads to few attractions unlike the north entrances, which connect to the Danforth campus and MetroLink transportation. As a result, potentially dangerous individuals could easily trespass or flee campus through the south entrance without being discovered.
If the south entrance were closed off with a wall or a gate that could be opened with a Washington University identification card, greater control in the South 40 could be established. Outsiders would have to enter the South 40 from the north by Shepley Dr., Wallace Dr., or the underpass beneath Forsyth Blvd. Should crimes occur in the south again, criminals face greater difficulty fleeing, as they would not only have to travel a greater distance but also have to pass the WUPD station. If crimes on the South 40 were to continue occurring and escalating, guards who would check identification could be placed at the entries. Anyone without proper Washington University identification would only be permitted to enter if they were either with a student or had a visitor’s pass provided by the school. This system would coordinate well with other measures, such as the requirement that all maintenance staff and workers on the South 40 need to display their badges at all times.
In the case of the recent armed robbery, the suspect was presumed to have escaped by climbing over the perimeter fence that surrounds the South 40. The perimeter fence could be made more difficult to climb over by making it taller, removing handholds and footholds on the fence, or by enforcing the fence with additional barriers, such as hedges. Doing such assures the integrity of the South 40’s boundaries.
One may argue that greater student vigilance towards danger and crime is needed instead. During winter break, the burglars accessed the suites through the balcony sliding doors, which in some cases were not even locked and in all cases lacked dowels to prevent entry. Students could be better informed on how to secure their doors, so that they will not become victims of crime. However, it may be difficult to increase student vigilance any further as comprehensive mechanisms have already been established to increase the awareness of students. The installation of peepholes allows students to see who is standing outside of their door before they open them, something that would have helped the sexual assault victim, who was surprised after her attacker knocked on her door. The Safety and Security Committee regularly tours the campus assessing the lighting, landscaping, and location of blue light emergency telephones, so that student vigilance is maximized. During the first floor meeting each school year, residential advisors go over safety procedures and emergency contact numbers. The information appears to be heeded by students. For instance, when a local news channel was doing an investigative report on dormitory safety, the door to Dardick Hall was opened for the reporter by a student from the inside, but the reporter was soon apprehended, as the same student notified security.
While increased student vigilance may be a means of engaging with suspicious persons, vigilance does not remove potentially dangerous individuals from the proximity of students. If a trespasser were armed with a gun such as the one from two weeks ago and felt antagonized, the lives of students, vigilant or not, would be threatened. If a system of checking identification at the entrance had been established, potentially dangerous individuals would be dealt with by professionals before they entered the South 40 campus rather than by students after the fact.
Most recently, the WUPD has stationed a guard in a patrol car at the south entrance at night, indicating how they too have realized the significance of this region. With the patrol car’s bright yellow light flashing, the guard makes his presence known. However, anyone can still pass through the south entrance, as the guard stays in his car during his duty and does not check identification. While one may reason that a stationed guard in the southern region of the South 40 can respond to calls for help faster, the improvement may not be as significant. In a Student Life article by Johann Qua Hiansen, police chief, Don Strom, stated that the police were able to respond to a call regarding the mugging within a minute, but by then, the suspect had already successfully fled the scene by just running away on foot and climbing over a fence. If a suspect can escape in such a short time frame, perhaps instead of trying to decrease the time it takes to respond, WUPD should be trying to make it more difficult to flee.
Recent incidents have revealed the serious level of violence and theft that could continue to occur around the homes of numerous students, unless changes are instituted. Being a wealthy and renowned school in a metropolitan area, Washington University would inevitably attract criminals from nearby areas. By reinforcing boundaries and closing off side entrances such as the south entrance to the South 40, WUPD would be improving security in a new direction. In the past, WUPD has installed closed circuit cameras in the entries and exits of all residential halls, improved locks, added self-closing doors, placed emergency telephones, but they have not improved mechanisms that would curtail the entry of criminals onto the South 40 campus itself. Perhaps, it is time to consider a new direction.