To the Editor,

I am writing in regards to campus security. Campus security is important to the school for not only the safety of students but for the safety of faculty and anyone on campus. Recently I have noticed the lack of a security presence and the security that I do see are students. Once I saw a security guard that turned out to be my old friend from high school.

I do not see a problem with hiring students to do the job but the campus also needs trained professionals supervising the campus as well. I took a year off from school last year and I would often come to campus to see my friends who were attending school. After a short time, it occurred to me that anyone could walk on campus and no one blinked an eye.

Campus violence is not a new problem, which raises the question of why there is a lack of security presence at all. According to an article by National Center for Education Statistics, “In 2015, there were 27,500 criminal incidents against persons and property on campus at public and private 2-year and 4-year postsecondary institutions that were reported to police and security agencies, representing a 2 percent increase from 2014, when 26,900 criminal incidents were reported.”

Campus crime rates are rising by the year and there is no end in sight. An experience of my own was when I was walking to my car and I walked past the security building. Outside were a bunch of high schoolers skateboarding and screaming at cars driving by.

I was in shock that it was taking place right outside the building that holds our protectors. After this went on for about ten minutes, campus security finally came outside and dealt with them. To this day I still do not understand what took so long.

Campus security is one of the most, if not the most important part of ensuring a pleasant college experience. While hiring students as security is beneficial, especially to students pursuing a career in law enforcement, they cannot be the only security presence that we have.