Dorm Safety

Bridgeport- The University of Bridgeport’s campus security is responsible for providing adequate security measures to ensure students, prospective students and faculty member’s a safe community. Over the past year beginning late September early to October UB’s campus security has undergone some new changes, which now affect the resident halls. A number of security guards have been replaced by trained graduate students. These students carry out the same duties and responsibilities as the security guards once did such as maintaining access control which includes student identity, live-in resident identity, and banned-list verification.
Since these changes have taken place many students have been concerned about their safety. “I don’t feel safe as I once did,” says student and resident Jacque. “It seems that our dorms have become more accessible to the public because at night the front desk is not covered by security guards. I don’t feel that the resident hall monitors provide enough protection.”
Another student, Valerie, who resides in Seeley Hall adds, “There are no security guards monitoring the front desk over night between the hours of 4 am-1 pm in the afternoon. “During these hours is when many students sneak in their friends. “Last semester a lot of thefts were reported, fights broke out like crazy, and the fire alarms in Bodine were pulled at least 24 times. She continues, “It was a mess and these resident hall monitors are not enough.
According to Greg Breland, Director of Special Projects Coordinator of the Residence Hall Monitor Program, the new system was initiated due to these illegal entry issues, reports of people and students climbing into windows, back door entrances, lots of noise, theft, and harassment incidents which all occurred last semester.
“A new state of the art security system was put into place to eliminate those issues,” says Mr. Breland. “The new resident hall monitors were part of the initiation to make the system work more efficiently. “I think things are lot better than they were.”
David Oestreisher, who is the director of Residential Life and Judical Affairs adds that the number of false fire alarms have decreased to zero this semester. “Our fire systems have been updated and improved, even the sound of the alarms”.
Although UB is an open campus located in middle of an urban environment and bordered by a public park, the campus itself is one of the safest neighborhoods in the city of Bridgeport. The Department of Campus Security provides a policy statement regarding safety procedures and a statistical report for campus crimes which is required by “Student Right To Know and Campus Security Act”. The report covers incidents reported over the last three years. In 2003 UB was awarded the Clery Award for their extraordinary measures in protecting our campus community.
Director of Campus Security, April J. Vournelis concludes, “I don’t think we’re doing anything less than we’ve done before. “For three years in a row we have been the safest campus in the state of Connecticut. Security is everyone’s responsibility and we need to move forward like everyone else.”