Carleton University today announced it is investing $1.6 million in a wide range of measures to make its campus safer for students and employees this fall.
Over the past few months, the university has initiated a number of upgrades and enhancements to its network of emergency phones, lighting, pathways, signs and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. It has also introduced the use of swipe cards in its chemistry and biology buildings, with similar retrofits being reviewed for other buildings.
The campus improvements are the result of eight broad recommendations identified in the university’s personal safety audit report.
“Students, staff and visitors to Carleton University will see a big difference this September with many infrastructure improvements and more still to come,” says Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, the university’s president and vice chancellor.
“What’s more, we have learned from undertaking an extensive personal safety audit that communication and awareness play important roles in creating a feeling of security on campus. That is why we will also be working hard this fall to create a broad culture of safety with a new community web site, contests, posters and other awareness activities.”
Specific improvements to the university include:
- Sixty-three new CCTV cameras. This brings to 111 the total number of cameras on campus today. An additional 48 cameras will come online in early September and eight more are planned in a later round of improvements (for a total of 167). The new cameras will cover safe pathways, parking lots, tunnels and parking garages. They will also cover gathering areas, the MacOdrum Library and Quad.
- Eight new exterior emergency phones, bringing the total number of dedicated phones on campus to 225. In addition, all phones outdoors and in the tunnels are being painted yellow and rebranded “assistance” phones to encourage greater familiarity and use in non-emergencies. Yellow lines in the university tunnels will guide users to the phones.
- Designated safe pathways are being extended and enhanced throughout the campus, and 14 new signs will make them easier to identify. Among these new pathways will be one leading from Parking Lot 7 to the centre of campus. These pathways will have better lighting, reduced underbrush and will be under 24-hour CCTV surveillance.
- Five new special constables (regular and auxiliary) to bring to 25 our total number of special constables (an increase of about 20 percent from one year ago).
- An additional 20 uniformed student safety patrollers to increase patrols around campus buildings and on safe pathways. This brings to about 40 the total complement of student safety patrols.
- A new staff position responsible for sexual assault education and coordination of all support services including safety and counselling. Carleton University will be only the second university in Ontario with such a position.
- A new community safety web site to promote everyone’s responsibility in creating a safe and secure community. It will also feature regular safety reports. It is available at www.carleton.ca/safety.
- Sixty new pedestrian light fixtures to improve lighting after dark on campus.
- Swipe card locks for after-hours access to Steacie Chemistry and Nesbitt Biology buildings. Other campus buildings are being reviewed for similar retrofits in the near future.
- Additional safety patrol bikes to assist campus safety officers in responding to requests for assistance and patrolling the 40 buildings and 14 parking areas on the 64-hectare (160 acre) campus.
- A campus-wide awareness campaign to encourage community members to program their mobile phones with the Campus Safety telephone number: 613-520-4444. Prizes will include four gift certificates valued at $444 for use in the university bookstore.
- A new safety pocket guide indicating the presence of safe pathways and safety assistance phones.
- New measures to improve the safe operation of tunnel carts, including stricter speed rules and large identification numbers to report poor driving.
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For more information:
Christopher Walters
Director, University Communications
613-520-2600 ext. 1838
Christopher_walters@carleton.ca
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 in News Releases
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