Virginia Tech students know better than most the importance of campus safety. From the escape of William Morva in August 2006, to the tragic day of April 16, 2007, and most recently the stabbing death of Xin Yang in the GLC at Donaldson Brown, we have experienced our fair share of campus security breaches. It is events like these, and others on campuses all over the nation, that led the House to unanimously pass The Campus Safety Act.
The bill amended the Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 by adding to it a new part detailing responsibilities and functions of a National Center for Campus Public Safety. The bill allows for the creation and control of this center by the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Some of the functions of the center include providing education and training, research, information, and development of protocols at institutions of higher education, all related to violence on campus, to name a few.
Now the question is, will this new center really work? Is it possible to stop people such as Seung-Hui Cho from carrying out their crazed plans? No matter the answer, The National Center for Campus Public Safety is definitely a step in the right direction. Having a nationwide, uniform way of handling emergencies on campus will leave time-wasting questions out of the equation. The education and training of those in charge of our safety is also a major plus for colleges all over the country.
One stipulation of the bill looks to foster an increased amount of cooperation between law enforcement, campus safety agencies and mental health agencies. This function of the National Center for Campus Public Safety could be extremely important in the prevention of events such as April 16. Keeping an open dialogue might help safety professionals spot, and help, members of the community in need, before it is too late.
Although it took a significant loss of life to create, the National Center for Campus Public Safety is a welcome addition to college life. Hopefully, the new center will help minimize or even prevent these tragedies from happening on college campuses. College has always been seen as a place to enjoy amazing life experiences. It is a time to meet new people and find novel ways in which to view the world. Let's keep it that way.
The editorial board is composed of David Grant, David Harries, Laurel Colella, Alexandra Kaufmann and Jenna Marson.
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