Questions About Security Raised Throughout Semester

Source: Greta Stuckey '23

During the Fall 2022 semester, around a dozen Marist College students reported their cars being broken into. While this is not the first time this issue has come to campus -- nor was Marist the direct target -- the high volume of crimes within a short period raised more questions during a semester where security has been at the front of mind.

On Oct. 7, Director of Safety and Security John Blaisdell emailed the student body to make them aware and vigilant of recent events. “Over the past two weeks, Marist Safety & Security has received reports of parked vehicles being broken into on the east side of Route 9,” said Blaisdell in the email.

While car break-ins became a serious issue on campus, Marist was not the direct target; it is a more significant problem in the City of Poughkeepsie. “[The car break-ins] was not an issue focused at this college; that was and is a community-wide issue,” said Blaisdell in an interview. “I spoke with the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department [recently], who said they are still experiencing a high number of vehicle break-ins. We [here] have not; it’s subsided.”

Blaisdell shared that in multiple of the reported break-ins, evidence indicated that the car was likely left unlocked. However, the volume of reports was concerning to the student body and the security team. Since the height of break-ins in October, the number dwindled, and Blaisdell shared that nothing had been reported in at least three weeks. In response to those robberies, Marist Security doubled its patrols. 

Gaby Guerriero ‘23 was a victim of one of the break-ins. In her case, an unlocked car was not in question since the soft top cover of her Jeep was carved open in multiple places. Guerriero shared that the incident has made her more cautious and aware of safety on campus.

“I’m definitely a little more cautious now,” said Guerriero, “especially going into the parking lot at night.”

The car break-ins were happening when the Marist community was still reeling from the shocking fatal shooting of a Marist parent at a local hotel. The multiple different events put safety and security at the forefront of mind for all Marist community members; a lot of concerns were raised, and many questions were asked.

“The horrific event that took place at the Marriott resulted in a lot of questions being asked about policies and processes,” said Blaisdell, who added that most of the questions came from parents, something he understood being a parent of college students himself. Blaisdell felt emailing answers to questions would not be an effective way to communicate with those concerned parents, so he reports making around 100 phone calls to family members.

Because Marist is built and set up as an open campus, one of the things Blaisdell had to convey was that “there’s no way we can build a bubble around this college.”

In wake of the recent incidents, the security department was budgeted some extra money to improve technology like gunshot detection and put up additional surveillance cameras.

Surveillance cameras, particularly over parking lots, were a talking point in the discussions about safety and security. There are no surveillance cameras directly over parking lots on the east side of campus.

Blaisdell said part of the reason for a lack of cameras over parking lots is because “our problems have historically never been parking lots or crimes in parking lots.”

Klanell Lee ‘24, the current Executive Vice President for the Student Government Association and former Vice President of Safety and Security for SGA, is happy that the cameras are being put up.

Lee, who is passionate about issues relating to safety and security and is planning for a career in the field, said another issue SGA has been pushing for is lighting. The more light there is, the more visibility, the safer people will feel, especially walking around at night.

SGA frequently communicates with the Safety and Security department, particularly this year, and Lee reported that Blaisdell was receptive to their push for better lighting; “[they are] going to do it, it just takes time,” said Lee, who understands that it won’t be instantaneous but is his job to advocate these significant concerns on behalf of the student body.

A lot has happened relating to safety and security, and many students share the sentiment that this semester has served as a wake-up call. An open campus means that no matter how safe it feels in “the Marist bubble,” the college is not immune from the problems that plague any city and can affect any campus.

Cecilia Pandiscia ‘23 says that sometimes it feels like a “false sense of security,” especially when looking at the differences between campuses on the different sides of Route 9.

Students also raised concerns about what security officers are doing when patrolling. Both Lee and Blaisdell noted how the officers have shifted their focus away from stationary patrol to a more community-based approach, intended to increase the visibility of officers.

One change this year is that security guards no longer sit at desks in freshman dorms at night; instead, SNAP (Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol) students fill that role with a direct line to security, so the officers can be out covering more ground. 

To find out more, read a recent Marist Circle article that answered questions about the Office of Safety and Security.