The University Police Department is cracking down on who can enter residence halls across campus.
UPD is “evaluating security in residence halls” and placing a greater emphasis on tightening access to buildings, Chief Kevin Hay said. The emphasis on stemming incidents of piggybacking – when an individual follows a building resident inside – comes a month after a man trailed into City Hall and attempted to sexually assault a female student.
Increasing the level of control of access to residence halls has been a top priority for Hay since he arrived at GW in August 2010, and the force is now looking at the issue, he said.
Officers posted in Ivory Tower’s lobby Saturday night required individuals who did not live in the building to call their hosts to escort them inside.
Guards are already stationed in freshman residence halls on the Foggy Bottom Campus, where students must sign guests in at a front desk.
Freshmen in residence halls on the Mount Vernon Campus are not required to sign nonresidents in.
The man who followed a female student into a City Hall stairwell Sept. 10 tried to forcefully sexually assault her upon reaching the second floor.
“The female student fought him off and screamed causing him to flee the area,” according to a Safety and Security Alert the University sent out that day.
The student reported to UPD that she did not know the suspect.
“We encourage students to remain vigilant about their surroundings and do not let anyone they do not know follow them into the buildings,” Hay said then.
Why not install turnstiles? Many city school dorms have them, and they prevent piggybacking.
a good policy for safety, however, in my cynical mindset about UPD I am guessing that alcohol emergs are going to go through the roof.
Students need to be more vigilant. Most student opposition come from a higher possibility of alcohol violations. It is also a waste of resources to have someone in every residence hall.
A 34 yr old man should have been questioned by the students… especially at 1am.