Being the new kid in school is tough. In middle school it means devastating nicknames and getting pantsed in gym class. For Georgetown’s new Vice President for Safety and Security, Rocco DelMonaco, Jr., it means adjusting to a campus of several thousand college students.
DelMonaco is undoubtedly qualified for his new position, with impressive credentials including stints in the Secret Service, the police force, and the U.S. Air Force. But this does not necessarily prepare one for the unique task of overseeing the safety of thousands of college students, many of whom, no matter how smart they think they are, can be less than brilliant when it comes to safety.
In an interview with the Voice, DelMonaco discussed a number of recent campus incidents, the most alarming of which was the robbery of students at gunpoint outside of Lauinger Library. When asked if extra security was necessary during the summer months when many non-Georgetown students, including high-schoolers, live on campus for internships or programs, DelMonaco said that “more education” could be the key to preventing similar incidents in the future. He added that “city folks know better,” implying that Georgetown students are automatically savvier on the city streets.
Au contraire, Rocco.
Mugging after mugging, Hoyas have proven that we’re not invincible when it comes to personal safety, both on and off campus. No amount of education can prevent people from bringing weapons to campus with malevolent intentions. Worries about neighborhood security have increased since the recent news that the 2nd District of the Metropolitan Police, which patrols Georgetown, will be stretched thinner due to increased patrols in the Dupont Circle and U Street corridor. DelMonaco doesn’t seem too concerned with the decreased Metro presence, saying that with DPS, Georgetown has sufficient “eyes and ears in the neighborhood.” In an ideal world, this would be true, but as last year’s violent brawl outside Reiss—which injured 3 DPS officers and 4 students—proved, no matter how well they protect the John Carroll statue from drunken revelers, the unarmed, under-trained and under-paid DPS force can’t handle violent crime on its own.
Our advice to DelMonaco? Assume street smarts only go so far, and increase the training of DPS officers to prepare for those unfortunate incidents when education just isn’t enough. The high turnover rate within the force speaks volumes about its effectiveness and morale. Common sense tells us that happy, well-trained officers make for a safer, more secure campus.
Think about that, Rocco, and we think that being the new kid on the block will go just fine.
