Safety comes first.
To increase student safety on campus, the Department of Public Safety and Security added four new officers within the last 10 months and installed new security cameras around campus.
Vice President of Student Services Tracy Gottlieb said in an email that Seton Hall regularly evaluates campus security to ensure safety.
“We are committed to providing students with a safe campus. As our student population grows, our Public Safety department has kept pace,” Gottlieb said.
The freshman population has reached 1,415 students, 165 more students than the University’s previous enrollment average.
The recent increase in security for the larger student population follows the arrival of Public Safety’s Segway during the spring 2015 semester.
The Segway offers Public Safety officers faster transportation around campus, increasing immediacy and their availability to SHU community members.
Student Amanda Todd, freshman criminal justice major, questions the value of certain security measures implemented on campus.
“I feel that having more people on the force is good for our safety, but I feel some of the vehicles are unnecessary,” Todd said.
“The Segway, so to say, is like an accessory,” she added. “How is that going to benefit our safety?”
Some students note South Orange’s crime history and the proximity of crime occurrences to Seton Hall’s campus.
“I definitely think they were necessary changes as crime is, unfortunately, not very uncommon in South Orange,” Meghan Tobin, freshman communication studies major said. “Every student on the Seton Hall campus should be able to feel safe and protected.”
In addition to providing additional safety resources, Patrick Linfante, assistant vice president for Public Safety and Security, highlights the importance of students acting responsibly to ensure their own safety.
“Accepting responsibility for your own safety greatly assists the University and the Department of Public Safety in keeping you safe,” Linfante said in an email.
Julie Trien can be reached at julie.trien@student.shu.edu
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