DPS will begin putting up new security cameras around campus with the installation set to be completed in August before the upcoming fall semester.
The security cameras will be installed in two phases, starting with exterior cameras in outdoor spaces and interior cameras in indoor spaces.
Department of Public Safety Captain Timothy Jacobs described the benefits of completing the installation.
“So it’s part of a newer camera system. That’s a broader commitment from the university to enhance safety and give students, faculty and guests across campus a better peace of security and peace of mind that we’re taking a proactive approach to their safety with the cameras and respecting the privacy of our community too,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs also stated that the idea for the security cameras comes from a mentality of keeping people safe on campus and preventing any tragic events.
One of the goals behind the cameras is to aid in investigations and help monitor areas with high student traffic. This will help DPS investigators get a thorough report and provide evidence in upcoming cases.
“We do receive calls from parking lots and to investigate crimes,” Jacobs said. “So it can be used as a deterrent or a legitimate need for Ferris student safety, so if it can deter crime it can help an investigator, and it’ll also help people feel safe.”
The cameras will be installed in populated outdoor areas around campus, including academic buildings and areas, including the North Quad, South Quad and the dorm parking lots. Cameras will also be added inside the residence hall hallways.
Students voiced their concerns about privacy with cameras in the dorms.
Construction project management sophomore Chris Black was apprehensive about the thought of cameras inside the dorm hallways.
“I think it’ll be good outside the campus. If people are getting up to shenanigans late at night, doing things they shouldn’t, it’ll be easier to deal with that,” Black said. “But inside the dorm hallways, like we’re just doing our laundry and stuff. It just kind of feels invasive.”
Cameras will be installed outside the residence hall entries and inside the residence hall lobbies. DPS took careful steps to ensure privacy rights were respected.
While students like Black oppose the idea of cameras inside the dorm hallways, others see it as an asset.
Dental hygiene freshman Blake Laskowski saw the security cameras as beneficial for his residence hall.
“I live in South Bond, and I always hear people banging on my door and then running away, and like the middle of the night. It’s so annoying,” Laskowski said. “So I think it would be awesome to be able see, if someone’s doing that, then they’ll get in trouble for it.”
DPS is in the implementation part of the process, working on installing the cabling. They will also increase walkways for common areas in high-traffic areas. The installation will continue throughout the rest of spring and into the summer.
The hope behind the project is to make sure everything is completed before the fall semester. Aside from the new cameras, there will also be updates to the cameras outside of the residence hall entryways.
Psychology junior Brittany Ullom expressed her thoughts about the security cameras.
“As long as it’s not in the rooms or bathrooms, where it’s a breach of privacy, I honestly don’t think it’s a problem,” Ullom said. “I definitely think that we should enforce more security in the dorms, because you need your key card to get in and stuff, but I know a lot of students don’t take the right protocol for that, and that can just put people in danger,”
There is no specific date in August for completion of the security updates.