The current safety measures on campus do not adequately protect our students

Recent events have left students feeling that our campuses are not as safe as we expect them to be.  

On Sunday Oct. 25, a Bennie student reported to CSB Campus Security that around 2 a.m. that morning she was assaulted near the West Apartments by an unknown male, while another unknown male watched these events unfold.  

An anonymous post on YikYak claimed that the Bennie was treated in the hospital for a broken jaw, broken nose, a concussion and four chipped teeth. Administration has since released an update on the investigation saying that the report was unfounded, and the incident did not occur as originally reported.  

Despite this development, the fears of unsafe campuses have not been allayed.  

The St. John’s campus is of a more secluded nature, but the St. Ben’s campus is open directly to the heart of the town of St. Joseph.  

Earlier this month a man was arrested in St. Joseph after a nearly 12-hour standoff with Stearns County sheriffs, St. Joseph police officers and SWAT team members after he broke into someone else’s house before barricading himself in his own home with an axe, on the night of Oct. 7-8.  

News of these events spread across social media, with no official notices or warnings being sent out by the schools.  

The current systems in place for security on our campuses are not enough. The Code Blue Emergency Phones, which allow students to get into immediate contact with SJU Life Safety or CSB Campus Security, are a novel idea but they are placed sparsely around the two campuses and are not convenient for students to use in the case of an actual emergency.  

The Bennie/Johnnie Alert System is not being used as effectively as it could be. It should be used to inform students of situations like the man with an axe in St. Joseph, rather than merely updating students when snowy conditions are causing the buses to end their routes early. 

Adding more streetlamps and security cameras around our campuses would help our students feel safer when walking around at night after the sun has set and, in the case of an active threat, give security officials a better view of what is actually happening in the areas in which we live. 

That being said, CSB+SJU should have better safety measures in place. As of right now, a little red booklet in every room on campus does suffice.  

We need safety measures that are more specific to our separate campus communities. St. Ben’s and St. John’s have different needs based on location and student body make-up. We have different security forces but not measures.  

With the upcoming Halloween weekend, administration has sent out reminders for how students can keep themselves safe during whatever activities they choose to partake in.  

While these reminders are important, the safety of our students does not always come down to the actions they take. As we have seen, someone can make all the correct decisions to keep them and their friends safe and still find themselves in a threatening situation. When this happens, it calls into question the efficacy of our campuses to keep their students safe. 

We as the Editorial Board are advocating for security changes across both campuses. When an emergency happens, we shouldn’t be second-guessing what measures to take.  

Though the reported incident that happened Sunday was unfounded, it is a very real thing that could have happened. How we respond as a community matters and we shouldn’t have to worry about feeling safe on our campus because for at least right now it is our home.  

If you are experiencing an emergency, you can always call 911. Alongside that, you can reach SJU Life Safety at 320-363-2144, CSB Campus Security at 320-363-5000, the St. Joseph Police Department at 320-363-8250 and the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at 320-251-4240.