Dorm Security at MSU - Police and Administration View

  Dorm security is an issue that the MSU administration and the MSU Police will always have to deal with it. It is obviously very important to keep the students safe as possible while they live in the dorms.

 With most halls on campus, you need your MSU ID and must live in the hall to access certain floors at certain times. One hall that has seen a major improvement this year is Emmons Hall, located in Brody Complex.

In Emmons, you need an ID to access anything in the hall except the main entrance, 24/7.  This is not the case in most halls, including Hubbard, which was the target of an invasion earlier this year, according to MSU Police.

Even though the newly renovated Emmons Hall has only been open for a month and a half, L. Michelle Vital, the Resident Hall Director at Emmons, has said there have not been any reported crimes of any kind.

Vital also believes that MSU has done an excellent job keeping students safe, especially in Emmons, by needing an ID to access the building.

Even though upgrades in dorm security have contributed greatly to the decrease in crime, it’s not the only reason why crime is down. Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor, the public information officer for the MSU Police Department believes that it’s ultimately the students’ responsibility to keep themselves safe.

Sgt. McGlothian-Taylor says that a majority of thefts in dorms are “crimes of opportunity.” In other words, students do not lock their doors, creating opportunities for thieves to steal without having to break-in.

  Sgt. McGlothian-Taylor said that the addition of peepholes and access control has helped security greatly and she has full confidence that the students on campus are safe. Peepholes allow students to see who is at their door without actually opening the door, while access control is a system that requires an MSU ID to enter certain building at certain times throughout the day.

However, she did also say that the system is vulnerable if the students do not to their part.

“If students do not lock their doors, the system becomes vulnerable,” said McGlothian-Taylor.  

MSU has continued to make improvements to security, recently announcing that all the dorms at MSU will have automatic door locking systems by the Spring 2012 semester.