“Those things look sweet,” said Senior Economics Major Kevin Horn. Those “things,” as he calls them, are actually called T-3s, and they are a brand new addition to the Gustavus campus.
“[Officers] are able to take the T-3s into the interior parts of the campus, which means they have more one-on-one time with the students because they’re not in the car,” said Director of Safety and Security Ray Thrower.
A question many have been asking, including Junior Psychology and Nursing Major Sara Bentley, is, “Are they really that cost-effective?”
Each T-3 unit comes at a cost of roughly $10,000, but according to Thrower it is entirely worth its price tag. “We’ve actually tested them versus the cars, and the T-3s win every time because they can cut through the campus easier,” said Thrower.
Still, these new vehicles leave some students with questions. “Whatever happened to officers using bicycles?” said Junior Sam Paulson. Thrower says bicycles are not as safe and have become obsolete. “Our bicycles are wearing out and a good bicycle costs two to three thousand dollars. We believe our money would be better spent in an initiative like this,” said Thrower.
Thrower sees the T-3s as a continuation of the campus’s green initiative. Powered entirely by electricity, the T-3s can go as fast as 20 mph and travel for 30 miles before needing to be recharged. Gustavus is currently using two T-3s as part of a loan program, but recently purchased one that will be arriving in six to eight weeks.
In addition to the T-3s, Safety and Security has a few more things they are excited about for the coming year. Topping the list is their new camera system. Previously, the college’s security cameras were operating on four different systems, but with the purchase of a new software program, Safety and Security can now monitor all of the cameras on one set of TV screens.
Thrower assures students, however, that the cameras are for security purposes only. “It’s not like what you see on CSI. The cameras are really only there to record if an incident occurs,” said Thrower.
Also new this year is a bicycle registration program for students. Any student bringing a bike to campus needs to register it online at the Safety and Security website. “Each year we have about thirty or so bikes abandoned and we have no idea who they belong to. This way we can identify the owners and contact them immediately. It is also a big help in cases of bikes being stolen,” said Thrower.
To address perhaps the largest security concern of all, S&S purchased a training video called “Shots Fired on Campus,” in the wake of tragic school shootings at Virginia Tech and other colleges. Available for all staff and students to watch on the Safety and Security website, it serves as a guide for surviving active shooter situations. “It’s something that we never want to think about, but something we should plan for,” said Thrower.
Additionally, a campus-wide public address system is being installed over the next couple of years that will allow for a direct message to be sent to all students on campus.
“Instead of a siren that doesn’t tell you the exact problem you have, this will be a direct way to say exactly what is going on,” said Thrower.
The PA system will be an addition to the layered communication system that Gustavus already has, including an instant text-messaging and phone-calling program that alerts students to any emergencies. Safety and Security encourages all students to enter and/or update their emergency information on the Gribly to ensure they receive the notifications.
Thrower is excited about all of these additions, hoping they will help the college be “proactive instead of reactive” for any emergency situation.
Photo By: Alex Messenger