Drue Sokol, Photo Editor
At its Wednesday, Nov. 7 meeting, the Joint Committee on Security (JCOS) outlined recent security measures, including the status of the Students’ Association’s Safe Ride Home Service and updates on enhanced Riverview Apartment patrols. The meeting was attended largely by UR Security and student representatives from the SA and Residential Life.
SA President and senior Roshal Patel was “pleased to report” that during the 210 hours Safe Ride Home has operated, the service has transported 1,175 students and made 704 trips. He also said that the College of Arts and Sciences has agreed to fund Safe Ride, a development that will help it progress.
Director of Security Walter Mauldin said that there will be enhanced patrols on the Riverview path and bridge areas effective tomorrow. Additionally, the Rochester Police Department will begin to offer weekend support from Thursday to Saturday until January.
Along with the additional patrols, Mauldin announced the installment of two CCTV cameras and Blue Light Emergency Phones near the east entrance of the Erie-Lackawanna Pedestrian Bridge.
Even with these extra safeguards, Security Deputy Director Mark Fischer encouraged students to “stay alert” when using the bridge, as it is not owned by the University.
SA Senator and freshman Shakti Rambarran reported that the Walk for Light/Walk for Dark event, held Tuesday, Nov. 6, was “really successful,” citing that six administrators and nearly the entire senate had attended. The walk is an initiative designed to determine which areas need Blue Lights while also reducing excessive lighting to promote sustainability.
JCOS then opened the floor for a question-and-answer session.
Senior Hilary Wermers expressed “frustration” for her friends who live off campus and are thus not eligible to use Safe Ride Home.
Crime Prevention Specialist for UR Security Robert Bennett responded that the service is a privilege for students who live at the University and that the discounted Marketplace Taxi Service is “there for everyone else.”
After several student testimonies disputed whether the Marketplace taxis’ “discounted” name is a misnomer, Mauldin said that if such “horror stories” persist, the University may consider changing its vendor. He added that because Rochester is not a “robust taxi town like New York City,” the University should further help students assess the “risks and rewards” of off-campus housing.
Gould is a member of the class of 2014.
Gould is a member of the class of 2014.
