Security Still Needs Improvement

Since last fall a slew of violent crimes occuring near and on campus have begun to belie the bucolic appearance of Harvard's grounds and its Cambridge environs. While the Harvard police and administration have certainly made some progress in recent years toward improving campus security, we feel that there is still more they can do to ensure an optimal level of safety.

There are two main aspects of crime prevention. The first involves physical prevention--police patrols, adequate lighting, emergency phones etc. The second involves information--i.e. keeping the Harvard community informed of what crimes have occured where and of how to protect themselves. An examination of Harvard's response to some of the more serious incidents in the past year illustrates both where Harvard has been lacking and where it has improved.

Last year it took the Harvard police several months to issue a warning to the community in the wake of a broad-daylight rape near the Weeks footbridge and an assault on a student near Mather. This fall the administration and the Harvard police have definitely been more responsive. It took only a week for the HUPD to post flyers around campus describing the armed home invasion and rape that took place a few blocks from Dunster House on September 7. According to Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, this expediency was due partly to the fact that he contacted HUPD after the rape to ensure the distribution of the flyer.

But unfortunately, many students are still unaware of this crime, and many more are unaware of the various other, less shocking incidents that have occurred around campus, which include an assault on a homeless man near Mather and multiple thefts in Weld Hall. Apparently, HUPD flyers and articles in The Crimson are not enought to create the level of awareness that is necessary if members of the Harvard community are to be able to take precautions. Perhaps this is a failure on the part of the community itself, but we feel that it is necessary for the College and the HUPD to improve the manner in which information is provided to the students.

As grim as it may sound, perhaps it is time to start door-dropping crime reports and warnings or adding the information to our dining hall table-tents or to the "fas" log-in text. Some may see this as alarmist, and the administration might quiver at the thought of all that negative publicity. But the unacceptable alternative is to let students wander blithely through areas where violent crimes have repeatedly occured.

Harvard also has some work to do on the physical aspect of crime prevention. To this end, we reiterate our call to improve the lighting in the Yard, in the Mather-Dunster area and also along the banks of the Charles in front of the river houses. Harvard has already taken some steps to this end, but these areas of campus are presently still too dark. If the Yard could always be as weell-lit as it is during Commencement week, many students would feel safer walking through it after a late night at the library.

Finally, we would like to commend HUPD for increasing patrols in the Mather-Dunster area. Police Chief Francis D. "Bud" Riley has also said that he is considering setting up a police sub-station in Mather, like the one currently in the basement of Weld. We urge him to implement this as well.

As soothing as red bricks and trees are, Cambridge is a city, and crime is a fact of life. We don't expect the University to be capable of creating an entirely crime-free environment, and we urge students to take responsibility for their own safety by staying aware of what's happening in the community and taking appropriate precautions. But there is a certain level of protection that Harvard must afford the members of its community, and as of now there are still significant steps the University must take.