Security on Campus: The Inside View
In the wake of reports of animal abuse and vandalism at the University of Malta, Matthew Mamo met with two of the people responsible for safety and good order around the University campus, to discuss the problems that they face on a daily basis.
“The recent story of the killed and tortured cats is just a minor issue with regards to university”, a University messenger tells me as we start talking. He explains that some years ago, three huge dogs used to visit the university at night on a daily basis: “They would come running. We were afraid because they were huge and you could hear them running like a stampede. They came from a farm near the sports complex and ate a cat almost daily!”
He argues that the real issue is access to campus. “It is unacceptable that everyone is allowed to enter the premises of what is supposed to be one of the top institutions in Malta and are free to do whatever they wish.”
The messenger mentioned a number of cases where items were stolen by outsiders who he claims roam the university during the day, masquerading as students.
“A lecturer had his InFocus [projector] stolen as he went to the toilet for a few minutes, and this happened at 11 a.m. A cleaner’s bag was stolen when he left it alone for a few seconds. Even a pair of new curtains were stolen during evening classes! They follow us, they know every movement of ours.”
When confronted with the fact that the university is closed by gates, he tells me that “the old entrance’s gate near the chapel is useless, it can easily be avoided. Apart from that, every other side of the university is open to all.”
With regards to the CCTV cameras, he replied that “the CCTV cameras are not a detriment to any wrong doing. Some time ago, a personal bag was stolen from offices near the Rector’s Office and the Office of the Registrar; an area which is fully protected by CCTV cameras. CCTV footage showed a guy taking the haversack but was never caught; all he had to do was cover his face with a hood.”
Asked whether the skaters and bikers are to blame for these episodes, the messenger stopped me instantly and claimed that the problem is much more widespread. “It might be the skaters’ fault that the vending machines situated are constantly vandalized. We find their glass smashed and their padlocks broken during the night. But the skaters and bikers steal chocolates, [they don't] spend the whole day roaming the campus and stealing cars from the parking areas.”
He claims that vandalism and cases of cars being stolen is an everyday story. “They can be drug addicts coming from areas around the university. But some cases of vandalism come from students. Why are [freshly-graduated students] allowed to enter the university’s premises? They have every right to celebrate, but coming here, drunk, and disrupting classes is not something the university should be proud of. Last year some tables were even broken as they jumped on them in celebration during an English lecture!”
A security guard who spoke with me confirmed everything I had just heard. “I am part of the university’s maintenance department by day and a part time security guard at night” he adds. “It is not the first time that I find a bench I had painted that same day already broken or full of engraved names on it.”
The security guard tells me that it is unthinkable that “three security guards, or two because one of us is kept in an office by the entrance, have to control the whole area of the university.” The messenger looks at me and asks what two guards can do when faced by gangs 30-people strong, which sometimes trespass on campus.
According to the messenger, the university has “to catch the bull by its horns” and implement an idea which he has been proposing for years. “A wall should be built around the campus” he tells me “and every person who wishes to enter should show some sort of unique identification that confirms they are approved by the university.”
“The problem is widespread and is difficult to control. The strength of a university is not just ministers inaugurating new faculties or projects; it also includes the safety and security of its students and employees, because it is unacceptable that classes planned to hold 30 people or so are being filled with more than double the amount! “
(Names have been withheld to protect the identity of our sources)
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I am pleased to see that at least there are some people within the university that are ready to set the record straight with regard to the previously mentioned outlandish claims based on little more than “thin air” I know this might sound cliché…but Skateboarding is NOT a Crime!!! Nor BMX’ing or Riding as some call it or any other “Extreme Sports”…Our main worry at the moment is whether it rains or not as we practice outdoors…hopefully one day we will be able to have an indoor park too & the elements would then limit less the practice of such sports…In Life All Strive for Happiness in the most varied ways & I can assure you that many of the people I know who have practised skateboarding or other similar sports feel very strongly that it has enriched their lives with that element of fun & accomplishment it might not date back as far as football but Skateboarding & BMX’ing do have a 30 year stronghold on this island…& I do strongly believe that most of those who indulge in such activities find it extremely rewarding in a holistic sense just as with any other passionately practised sport… for some extreme sports might be found to be a bit too unorthodox but that definitely does not diminish their worth it is rather a strength than a weakness…Think Positive…& yes the Words Skateboarding, BMX’ing, & similar do fit quite well with that word
) Thank you
Loool, 2 security personnel. we may consider ourselves lucky that we find the place intact in the morning!
Yes, do build those walls, all we need is more walls. Walls, walls and walls is all you get to see, at Uni and outside. Low walls, high walls. Whole buildings being erected and a completely unnecessary low wall encircling what used to be a very charming and relaxing, but now sadly boxed in, students’ garden. Whole countryside universities abroad with one big campus five times the size of University of Malta are surrounded by nothing more than shrubbery and low wooden fences, yet they do very well regardless
I definitely agree with presenting some sort of identification when entering the University as done at the Junior College. We should be able to work harder to keep our school safe and unvandalised.Having more securities at night especially near the Gateway and the old gates situated at the back would be a good soulution as entering from these two particular areas is extremely easy. Our University should have a safe environment for its students. It’s the only University we have in Malta and therefore we should do what’s best for our school and its students.
I think a high increase in security guards is definitely needed although a wall around the campus is probably not that feasible. What could be done is something which is usually done at Junior College; security guards can be given a full list of students at university and they can ask students to show some form of identification to ensure they are students. Unfortunately, problems in the night are more difficult to tackle.