Depending on which school you go to, the level of safety in dorms can vary. On the small campus of Cabrini University, the grounds are very safe. However, at every school there are unpredictable circumstances that are nearly impossible to prevent.
“I believe our campus here at Cabrini is as safe as it can be within reason.” Sam Sheridan, resident assistant at Cabrini, said. “Of course any campus isn’t going to be one hundred percent secure. Given that we gate off all entrances/exits at midnight each night with the only accessible road entrance having a gate patrolled 24/7 by a public safety officer, Cabrini gives a sense of security to its community other schools can’t offer.”
To improve the safety of Cabrini’s students, the school recently installed cameras on each floor of the residence halls and in all of the houses on campus. There was also a light installed outside of House 2 so students can see the area better at night.
The additional cameras can be very helpful for students if a situation arises inside the dorms. A student might feel completely secure in their dorms but there are issues that you simply cannot prevent.
As a resident assistant at Cabrini, Johany Lebron has become aware of what safety issues should be addressed for better safety inside Cabrini’s resident halls.
“It’s easy for strangers to get in,” Lebron said. “Anyone can let someone in through the back door of East Residence Hall, or someone might leave the backdoor propped open so then anyone can get in.”
In one of the dorms there was an incident where three men under the influence had asked to “take a tour” of the room of two female students around three in the morning. The two female students asked to remain anonymous for their safety.
“We did not let them in their room because we did not know who they were and we were unaware of their intentions,” one of the students said. “They continuously asked us if they could see our room and get in which was pretty scary.”
It was suspected that the three men entered the dorms either through the back door or they followed someone in when they scanned their ID. Public Safety took care of the situation and everything was under control. It is important to remember to never open your door to strangers because you never know what they may have in mind.
According to Cabrini University’s 2016 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, there were ten reported cases of on-campus residential burglaries in 2015, eleven in 2014, and eight in 2013.
“Some of the things we really need on this campus are more lights, and emergency buttons.” Lebron said. “A friend of mine had told me that some of the blue emergency call boxes do not work. What if someone needed to call public safety with it and it didn’t work?”
Safety tips to keep in mind while living on campus are:
- Remember to keep doors locked.
- If you live on the first floor of a building remember to keep blinds over your windows. Never open the door for someone you do not know.
- Contact your RA if there is ever a problem or a concern.
- Save Public Safety’s number (610-902-8245) to your cell phone to get help quicker.
- Do not open your door for someone you do not know (especially at night).
- Use the buddy system if you need to walk across campus at night.
For any additional safety information please contact Public Safety at: 610-902-8245
