During a time when UW-Madison students are voicing dormitory and campus security concerns, University Housing has begun installing security cameras in dormitories and has teamed up with UW Police to make students more aware of safety precautions.
Currently, security cameras function only in Chadbourne Hall, but will be added to Ogg, Sellery and Witte Halls this spring, according to Director of University Housing Kay Reuter-Krohn.
With cameras in these locations, many recent incidents like one a UW football player allegedly hit his girlfriend repeatedly, would have been caught on tape.
Though some students said cameras will help to curb crime by catching perpetrators, others said they think cameras cannot solve all security issues.
\I'm not sure how preventative [installing cameras] is,"" said UW-Madison junior and Ogg Hall resident Colleen Nielsen.
Installing cameras and taking additional precautionary measures at UW-Madison is congruent with a national trend and has been a priority since last summer, Reuter-Krohn said.
""In other residence hall programs around the country, they're adding more security measures,"" Reuter-Krohn said.
Among such trends are new electronic door monitors added to residence halls last fall to ensure that all doors are locked at scheduled times, lessening opportunities of intruders.
UW Police cited locking doors and refraining from propping them open as crucial precautionary measures.
Additionally, UW Police said they encourage students stay alert, to walk in groups and take advantage of UW-Madison's SAFEwalk and SAFEride programs.
Reuter-Krohn said she thinks such safety tips are especially valuable because the topic of security has recently piqued many people's interest.
""People are just becoming more aware of [safety issues],"" she said.
