campus security: [april 2008]
Published: 03/08/08
- Colleges Petition Congress for Security Aid
From the article of the same title by: Pamela Brogan, USA Today - Congress continues to haggle over legislation to provide federal money to help colleges and universities improve security. The House and Senate have passed legislation to create federal matching grants for universities to help fund improved safety training or emergency communications systems. However, because the education bills of which the legislation is part face more steps before going into effect, colleges might not be able to receive any money until next year. The delay in providing federal aid has frustrated advocates for campus safety, such as the nonprofit group Security on Campus, which estimates that 2007 was the deadliest year on U.S. college campuses, with a total of more than 40 homicides recorded.
At hearings last year after the Virginia Tech shootings, college officials and security experts said that campus security was being hampered by outdated communication systems. Experts see alert technology, such as text messages, as an important way to warn students in open campuses of potential threats. Such systems can cost about $15,000 for small colleges to over $100,000 for large universities.
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