Ross intrusion renews concerns

Author: Katie Flagg

On Sunday morning at 4:40 a.m., a resident in Milliken Hall reported that an unidentified male entered her room. The intruder left after the student told him to leave. The Department of Public Safety, in a community-wide safety alert issued by e-mail, described the suspect as a white male, student age, approximately 5'7" to 5'10". The suspect is also described as having wavy hair to the ears and a medium build.

The e-mail - one of several reports of the same nature issued this year to the College community - followed Public Safety procedure. "If the person has not been identified and is still at large, it is our responsibility to alert the community," said Melody Perkins, assistant director of administration at the Department of Public Safety.

The Milliken Hall incident is the third Ross Commons intrusion this academic year. Documented intrusions have been limited to Ross Commons buildings this year, but a similar incident occurred during the Fall 2003 term in Gifford Hall, according to Perkins.

"We had a wonderful response from the community," she commented in regards to the Gifford case. This student response eventually aided in resolving the situation and apprehending the person responsible for the incident.

Though the Gifford Hall incident is, according to Perkins, in many ways similar to recent intrusions, another "wonderful response" from Middlebury students is less obvious on campus. Student reactions vary - while several expressed concern at the onset of the intrusions, others quickly discounted the incidents.

"After the first [incident] I locked my door, but I don't anymore," said sophomore and Ross Commons resident Sienna Chambers. Chambers continued, "I don't really pay attention to [the safety alert e-mails], to be honest."

While many students echo Chambers's sentiments, some going so far as to describe the e-mail alerts as "jokes," others feel that a lack of personal responsibility only heightens security problems on campus.

"I think the biggest issue in terms of campus security right now is student apathy," said J.S. Woodward '06. "Most students I've spoken to have not changed their behavior in any way - their doors remain unlocked at night and often during the day when they're out of the building. Many don't even bother to read the e-mails from Public Safety, deleting them as soon as they see that the sender is neither a professor nor personal friend."

Some students have argued that the e-mails are vague and unhelpful, providing few details regarding incidents on campus. According to the Department of Public Safety, though, the e-mail alerts have been as thorough as the medium will permit.

As Dean of Ross Commons Janine Clookey pointed out, "When students report incidents, the reports they give are vague."

That said, the department only tells people "as much as they need to know to understand what occurred," Perkins said. While Public Safety "will provide general information on the nature of the incident," certain details cannot be released to the community at large. Details that the department feels could compromise the investigation or the privacy of victims.

While students on the whole are receiving relatively little information about the crimes, renewed discussions about security and safety are blossoming across campus. Prompted by frequent bicycle and backpack thefts, the Student Government Association (SGA) began exploring options like placing security cameras outside dining halls and on bicycle racks.

The SGA is not alone in exploring security measures. "A number of administrators have met about security measures on campus," according to Woodward.

"It's been suggested by some that the dormitories go under 24-hour lockdown, which would require the use of access cards to enter at all hours," he continued. "However, the student body is generally against such action and consequently, the administration has not made such a move as the problems of intrusion have yet to escalate too terribly."

Clookey, Perkins and many Middlebury students are pointing to the Milliken incident as an indication that students must begin to take increased personal responsibility in protecting themselves.

"I think that each individual student is responsible for preventing harm to himself and, secondarily, to the community," Clookey said.

The Milliken intrusion follows two previous and striking similar incidents in Ross Commons. On Nov. 8 and 14, two residents reported incidents of unlawful trespassing.

On Nov. 19, the Department of Public Safety responded by implementing several new security measures targeted specifically at Ross Commons. In addition to increasing patrols in the Ross dorms, Public Safety locked the majority of the doors in the Ross Commons complex.

But recently, believing the intrusions to have stopped, Clookey opened a handful of doors in the Commons buildings.

"I understand about security," she said, "but I also understand about the cold." Concerned about students locked out in inclement winter weather, she unlocked three of the doors in the Commons complex just a few weeks ago.

Public Safety is conducting an ongoing investigation into the Ross Commons trespassing incidents. Last weekend's Milliken intrusion case remains open and under investigation.