Seton Hall's Department of Public Safety and Security has an obligation to do whatever it may in order to increase the safety of individual students in the area around the South Orange campus, especially when it has knowledge of nearby incidents of crime. This paper has long advocated for the notification of students when these incidents occur.
The Setonian knows that, under federal law and regulation, The Department of Public Safety and Security is only required to notify students of crimes on campus, crimes in dormitories or residence halls on campus, crimes on University owned off-campus property and crimes on public property contiguous to University property. In light of Public Safety's recent efforts to report crimes near campus but outside of the mandated reporting radius, this paper commends Assistant Vice President for Public Safety and Security Patrick Linfante and his staff for ensuring students are equipped with the necessary knowledge to better protect themselves on the streets of South Orange.
The Setonian hopes that last week's decision to notify students of a crime involving a victim who is not a member of the University community is indicative of a greater willingness to equipped students with knowledge of potential threats in the surrounding community.
This decision, paired with the establishment of a defined, University Patrol zone, shows Seton Hall is taking student safety seriously. The Setonian hopes, however, that Public Safety will notify students of all incidents of crime in the University Patrol area as well as areas close to campus that might not be monitored by the University Patrol vehicle.
