Seton Hall needs to work on their security

Safety should be a top priority, if not the highest priority for a college campus. With thousands of students in the area every day, the potential for disaster without the correct security is heightened.

Seton Hall emphasizes their security. Just not in the right way.

Bathroom locks in Boland. Having to swipe into another building when you already live on campus. Are these situations really defending against prospective hazards? Is there really a need to have these rules implemented and enforced?

What can be made stricter is deciding who to let into the campus. At the front gate, if you have a car and an interest to get into the campus, you will instantly get a parking pass and a friendly wave from security. Understandably, not every car can be searched and certainly not everyone can have a background check. But is the university incapable of at least attempting to provide more rules in this aspect of security? For a college student, does it not make one feel uncomfortable knowing that absolutely anyone can step foot on campus?

In a study by the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, statistics revealed that on college campuses in the 2011-12 school year there were 12 incidents relating to gun violence. In the 2015-16 school year, that number increased to 30 incidents during the academic campaign.

In total, as compared from the school years of 2001-02 to 2005-06 and 2011-12 to 2015-16, the amount of shooting incidents had increased by 153%. The country has become increasingly aware that issues such as these are occurring more often, yet a school such as Seton Hall still allows whoever wants to come onto the campus the ability to.

There are also the possibility of many more crimes.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2015, there were 27,500 crimes on college campuses. Of the 27,500 crimes, 45% of them were robberies and 29% were sex offenses. If we are unaware of who a certain person is coming through the gates at Seton Hall, we do not know the dangers they could bring with them.

Although background checks and other ways of identifying someone before coming onto campus may seem annoying – or very difficult to implement, it is in the best interest of the campus do to as much as they can before an incident can occur.

Seton Hall makes security important to ensure on campus safety. But do we need that protection in the form of bathroom locks? No. The campus needs to know who is coming into campus at all times. It may be tenuous, and it may not be a fan favorite move, but as the cliché goes, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Robert Fallo is a sophomore marketing and public relations double major from Scotch Plains, N.J. He can be reached at robert.fallo@student.shu.edu.