Brandon Bell
News Editor
During winter break, Security and Protective Services (SPS) partnered with the City of Wooster Police Department (WPD) to consider improvements to the security systems along Beall Avenue.
Completed improvements include regular patrols of the street by WPD officers and upgrades to cameras to allow them to record the license plates of more passing cars. In a campus email announcing the changes, President Sarah Bolton said that they were in response to incidents of harassment and violence along the street last semester. Some incidents — including an international student being shot with a paintball gun and a ceramic mug being thrown at a student of color — were racially motivated, which Bolton condemned as a threat to campus safety.
“This is completely unacceptable, and we are committed to addressing it as fully and quickly as possible,” Bolton said.
Steven Glick, director of SPS, said that he hoped that the increased security presence would make Beall Ave. safer for students.
“We are hoping that by being more visible, we accomplish two primary objectives,” Glick said. “[That we] deter any incidents from occurring and [reduce] the tension and fear members of the community feel.”
Bolton mentioned that a few other improvements were still being discussed, such as plans to install new cameras on Beall Ave. and around Gault Schoolhouse. She also said increased lighting and new signs along Beall Ave. were being considered to deter incidents of harassment.
“These [improvements] focus on safety and on ensuring that those moving around campus at night have good options for routes and for assistance,” she said.
Despite the improvements, Glick encouraged campus community members to continue to be cautious and report any suspicious incidents to SPS, either by calling or by completing a report online.
“I always encourage everyone, not just students, to practice the usual safety rules,” Glick said. “We encourage everyone to call SPS or make a report online … when you observe a situation that doesn’t look right.”