As police searched for a potential sexual predator at
York University, students seized an opportunity to slam the administration for what they claim is inadequate security.
The
third sexual assault on campus this school year reportedly happened Friday evening, when a 20-year-old female was attacked in a stairwell of Founders College residence. It happened two days before 22 newly hired residence watch officers were placed on duty, but the school's student union insists officials have failed to take necessary steps towards keeping students safe.
"Are We Safe?" was the question posed on the front page of a York student paper this week. It's a question many are asking.
"I think they try really hard," student Danielle Murray admitted. "But there's only so much you can do when the unversity's so open."
In fact York's sprawling campus has been singled out as a key factor in enabling what some student groups charge is a culture of silence that's led to multiple attacks. Administration critics also maintain the issue needs to be dealt with proactively rather than on a case-by-case basis.
"It's disappointing to see that the administration is taking so long to respond," said student association representative Gilary Massa. "And when they do respond it's with band-aid solutions."
"What we've been asking the university to do is hire a consultant who can come in and do a safety audit, which would create a more comprehensive understanding of the issue of violence on campus," added the association's Kelly Holloway.
Last September, two 19-year-old women were attacked in the nearby Vanier residence. After an intense two-week investigation police arrested Daniel Katsnelson and Justin Connort, both 25-years-old, in connection with those attacks.
University representatives are considering consultants, but insist in the immediate future the focus is on continuing to ramp up security, an initiative which will cast a web of surveillance cameras across the school grounds.
There's no word on how many suspects police are seeking in this case or whether they are students and live on campus. It's also not clear how any intruder may have infiltrated the residence in question.
So how can you keep yourself safe on such a sprawling campus when you have to get somewhere early in the morning or late at night? Vigilance is the key, and the University's security department offers these other tips:
- Always be alert to your surroundings and the people around you. Walk confidently and at a steady pace.
- If you feel uncomfortable with a situation or person, leave.
- Learn to trust your intuition; the human brain is never more intuitive than when it's at risk.
- If you work/study alone or after normal business hours, ensure doors and windows are properly closed and locked.
- Keep a written record of obscene telephone calls, harassing behaviour and save harassing e-mails and letters.
- Never assume that an individual wandering through a building is a staff member. Asking simple questions such as, "May I help you" or "Who are you here to see?" can discourage the dishonest without intimidating the legitimate visitor.
- Never leave visitors alone in an office, work or reception area. Never disclose confidential information to a stranger whether over the phone or in person.
- Report graffiti, homophobic, or racist behaviour, as well as suspicious activity, crime and property damage.
- Report problems with safety equipment, such as discharged fire extinguishers, damaged emergency telephones, burnt out lights and malfunctioning electronic door access systems.