Is CCNY Safe?

Security guards and students speak out about what can be done. by Seymone Kelly.In two violent weekend days in early April, two Mississippi college students were killed in separate incidents. 21-year-old John Sanderson of Madison, Mississippi was shot in a Mississippi State University dormitory late Saturday. Nolan Ryan, a 19-year-old freshman, was killed at an off-campus apartment pool party on early Sunday.In the midst of this incident, this question comes to mind: is City College safe enough? This campus is open for all to come for a visit or to walk through alone, with their families or their dogs. The security guards only monitor who is coming in and out of the buildings, but not the people who are walking around on foot.  There are some days when the guards are always so quick to ask you for your ID and then times where they are on their phone or reading the paper and not paying attention. It’s time that City College puts their security guard staff through a serious boot camp and maybe even revamps the school’s security efforts.   Students should feel safe on campus, but still feel that their freedom isn’t compromised.When asked, the majority of students expressed that they do feel safe on the CCNY campus. Science major Vanessa Johnson says, "I know the majority of the security guards here at City, so when I don't have my ID, they let me come in without." While others feel that the security guards on campus don't do anything to make them feel safe, Kenisha Perkins, a psychology major, says, "I could walk in here with an armed weapon and no one will know. I do feel that with all this happening with shootings around campus there needs to be some precautions."“I know some colleagues of mine don’t check IDS, sometimes I don’t," admits one security guard who wanted to remain anonymous. I feel like if students don’t look suspicious, why hunt them down for their ID?” While being interviewed, he had his iPod blasting, phone charging and watched about ten students walk by in Harris Hall.There are times when plenty of students have seen dogs on the campus grounds without leashes and their owners allow them to run around freely. There needs to be more measures of security all across the board.  Even if that means more security guards have to roam around the cafeteria, the halls, buildings just to make this a safer campus.Despite the fact the incident that happened to those two students was in Mississippi, it can happen anywhere. It is City College’s job—and all colleges' jobs—to make their campus safe for students.