Last weekend the University implemented new security procedures in the LXR-Nevils-Walsh complex in response to several armed robberies that occurred in West Georgetown over the past two weeks. The University deserves praise for enacting such a timely and efficient response to this instance of the recurring problem of crime in the neighborhood.
In a broadcast email sent out last Friday, the administration described its plans to heighten security. The new measures include restricting access to the complex at all times to only the main entries in Walsh and LXR on 36th and 35th Streets, respectively, and increasing patrols by Department of Public Safety officers throughout the complex. Those patrols will extend to the streets adjacent to the buildings as well.
The restricted access is a minor inconvenience, considering that any student or staff member can still easily enter the complex with a valid GOCard.
“I usually come through Walsh, so this new change has not greatly affected my daily routine,” Cal Watson (CAS ‘07), a resident of LXR, said.
The increased patrols on the neighborhood streets around the complex, however, are the most crucial of the new measures. Robberies have occurred and continue to occur with alarming frequency in West Georgetown, and the recent rash of incidents so close to campus highlights the pressing need to make the streets safer for students, staffers and residents alike.
Perhaps most impressive is the speed and efficacy with which the University has taken action. The robberies prompting the new security measures have all happened within the last three weeks. The fact that the new policies were devised and implemented by midnight last Saturday speaks favorably to the University’s concern for the safety and security of its students, faculty and staff.
“I feel reassured that the University has responded quickly to these incidents,” Watson said. “Hopefully, we can effectively discourage and prevent these thieves from invading our residences, absconding with expensive personal possessions and leaving us with a sense of helplessness.”
The administration should be commended for its quick, decisive action to protect the people it represents.
