Comments on: Safety Update

By: get real security

get real security — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:57:19 +0000

I’m really offended by prezbo’s attitude (like that’s new). The area is far from secure, and if he really wanted to secure it he would. There are Columbia students living north of 120th, so it *is* Columbia’s responsibility to partrol the area. But of course security guards are too busy sleeping in their booths and talking on their cell phones.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:40:23 +0000

Nice job with the Rick Roll you idiot. Get a life.

By: Public Safety

Public Safety — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:11:38 +0000

Just to give everyone some perspective on this. JTS, Barnard and Teacher’s College all have their own Public Safety Department. Columbia’s main campus Public Safety while the largest and having the most resources isn’t actually responsible for the area around teacher’s college. When everyone complains that Public Safety isn’t protecting them, the criticism is misplaced because they aren’t actually tasked with that area nor does the university give them the budget to hire officers to foot patrol or vehicle patrol that far north. Sure the department sends vehicle patrols up there because students do walk, but really they don’t have the resources to have a full time presence. If you want a safer area, you should petition the university to either increase Teacher College Security budget or Columbia Public Safety budget and area requirements.

Also, for the escorts, Public Safety performs several hundred escorts per week between the point to point shuttle, vehicle escorts and walking escorts. This amounts to a very busy call center at night and so it’s not that your call isn’t answered, but that the single dispatcher might actually be on the phone. Let it ring several times or try calling back in 1-2 minutes. Additionally, public safety has changed their procedures in the past 3 months, reacting to community feed back and now requires a call back number from all escorts. If the shuttle bus or patrol car driver or walking escorts cannot find you, they radio the base and the base will call you back on your cell to let you know they are there. This keeps you from having to wait on the street and helps the drivers find you.

By: also

also — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:03:13 +0000

don’t forget about plimpton, or the JTS undergrads living on 120th between Amsterdam and Morningside and 121st and Broadway. patrols would be welcome.

By: Alum

Alum — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:51:54 +0000

It’s “Jewish Theological Seminary”, not “Jewish Theological Center”. That’s why its acronym is JTS and not JTC.

By: eee

eee — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:24:50 +0000

Of course there are occasional incidents of crime in the area (it’s a big city), and of course this one, with its especially tragic outcome, can make the Columbia area seem “not safe,” but I think we need to keep a bit of perspective. Watch the local news, read the papers, keep up on the crime levels in the city generally – it’s just not the case that crime is rampant, and I’m unconvinced that Columbia security could do much (though certainly more attentive guards would be nice) to bring the level down to something close to zero.
Anecdotally, I am a grad student living east of M’side Park – there are tons of us, and we march through the park at most hours of the day and pretty late into the night. There are muggings too frequently, yes, but hundreds of people (young, white, and carrying valuable stuff) scamper all about there without incident. Perspective is difficult in the wake of tragedy, but I think it’s called for at the same time that we brainstorm how to prevent tragedies in the future and reduce crime in our community.

By: hey,

hey, — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:26:58 +0000

public safety has really been stepping things up…they busted up the ADP party on saturday!

By: massive suvs?

massive suvs? — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:22:19 +0000

the public safety suv are actually ford escape hybrids which are neither massive nor inefficient. They get way better gas mileage than the crown vic patrol cars, and are actually a lot smaller.

By: ip bannation?

ip bannation? — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:18:08 +0000

really callous

By: well

well — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:15:39 +0000

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI

By: brilliant

brilliant — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:38:04 +0000

Public Safety obviously needs huge massive SUVs in order to brave the treacherous off-road conditions of the Upper West Side.

Patrol cars, maybe, but SUV’s?

By: not 120th

not 120th — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:19:06 +0000

I mixed up the area where the PS car is… it’s not quite 120th.

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:18:14 +0000

I live where they’re talking about. There is 1 public safety officer from 5 to 1 on the corner of Amsterdam and 121st (I’m presuming this is more because of the School of Social Work building and not because students live there). The only other place you see public safety is the car parked by the construction on 120th and Broadway.

121st has a couple University Housing buildings on it, not to mention the back entrance(s) to Teachers College, and still there’s not really any security presence.

Keep in mind, I’m not talking about people living in their own apartments, but students (Graduate and GS) living in University housing on the edge of campus.

I’m offended by PresBo’s characterization of how “safe” the area is while they continue to ignore these things.

By: yeah

yeah — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:12:39 +0000

its not a good system. If they do come and you are not waiting outside for them they sometimes just leave. Obviously you are calling them because you don’t want to be hanging out alone on the street… so its really dumb.

By: dear bwog

dear bwog — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:56:27 +0000

i actually have that number in my phone…i’ve called it a few times when i’ve needed a ride, and sometimes they don’t pick up!! they really need to get on that.