UG ramps up security but criminal activities still abound – Students’ Society

Nov 20, 2015 News

While there has been some evidence of ramped up security at the University of Guyana (UG), the issue of security continues to be a major sore point at the tertiary institution.

Security check at the main entrance of the University of Guyana.

Although efforts are underway for the strategic placement of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at the Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara campus, there have been reports of students being attacked and robbed.
This disclosure was made on Wednesday by President of the University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS), Joshua Griffith, during a press conference. According to him, “the University opted to cut security cost and that would have caused a cut in the security personnel”.
There are speculations that this state of affairs might have given rise to the daunting crime situation that targets mainly persons using the southern entrance of the campus.
The UGSS is not taking this development lightly and has thus written to the University’s Council insisting that the slash of the security allocation has been at the expense of students’ safety.
“It was alarming not only to hear reports of the spike in criminal activities on campus reported at a meeting of the Occupational and Safety Committee (in March 2015), but to witness the calm and cool acceptance of this serious report,” the UGSS’s letter outlined to the Council.
While at the main entrance persons are subjected to a security check, the southern entrance of the University’s campus is reportedly less secured.
“Campus lighting still poses a real and considerable challenge. Poor lighting throughout the campus provides a haven for criminal activities. Students are still being attacked and robbed at the poorly lit southern campus entrance,” said Griffith.
He added that, “on one of the many occasions while advocating the urgency and importance of campus lighting, one senior administrative personnel proudly stated, ‘we waiting on graduation to put in lights’.”
“This is a prime example of the impoverished mentality and attitude that exudes from key areas of our dear University,” said the UGSS President, as he stressed the need for “the University of Guyana to immediately and aggressively prioritise adequate and sustained campus lighting.”
But there have been efforts aimed at improving security as according to Griffith “…they (UG administration) have pushed; and if you look outside you would see currently there are CCTV cameras being implemented on campus”.
“So we have physical personnel and CCTV cameras on campus now,” said Griffith. He however pointed out that there have been mixed views from the student body about the security situation. According to Griffith, there have been several reports of students being harassed by the very people retained to protect their wellbeing – the security personnel.
“Generally there is a fundamental need for an improved quality of service from security personnel. The way they speak to students; the way they go about their interrogation or they approach students, from the head, the chief security officer, right down. There have been complaints lodged against the (security) service and the attitude of security personnel, and we have written accordingly to address this,” the UGSS President disclosed.
In its letter to the Council, the UGSS noted that “the Society has communicated to the Administration its disapproval with various security protocols and reports of harassment and abuse by some security personnel.”
“We therefore call for an immediate evaluation into the performance of the University’s security operations and wish, on behalf of the Society to issue what we term a Reducing Confidence Motion in the University’s Chief Security Officer,” the missive concluded.