The Committee on Homewood Safety and Security held its first meeting on Wednesday morning in Shriver to discuss the current security status, coinciding with the release of the third security update this week.
According to the update released by Dean of Undergraduate Education Paula Burger, security will be increased at the Dell House Apartments, which the University purchased last year, and the installation of the 32-camera campus surveillance system has already begun.
Burger said that iXP Corp., the security consulting firm hired to advise the security department, "produced an elaborate, 264 report" in response to the security problems at Hopkins.
"We asked them for a recommendation," Burger added, "and they came up with a two-phase system."
The first phase of the new security design will be to place "smart" cameras around heavily-trafficked student areas, mostly outdoors.
These cameras will be able to recognize movements that resemble violent or disruptive behavior and sound an alarm that will alert security to investigate what is going on on the monitor, said Burger.
Their technology is more advanced than the "passive" cameras, like those connected to the computer network in the Bradford Apartments, which depend on constant monitoring.
"It should take another four or five weeks to get all the cameras installed," said Burger.
For now, Burger said, security will "take a hard look at the campus transportation system."
A new surveillance system has been installed at the Dell House Apartments, with cameras wired to the cable TV and entry buzzer system within the building, allowing residents to see visitors before buzzing them in.
The second phase of the new security plan will add more camera coverage in classrooms and administrative buildings. According to Burger, there is no time table yet for its implementation.
"We need to develop a baseline of experience for the new system before we move on," said Burger.
So far, $2 million have been committed by the deans of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering for the new security measures.
On Wednesday morning, the Committee on Homewood Safety and Security convened to discuss the current status of the security department and future developments.
Chair Jim McGill, senior vice-president for finance and administration, presided over the meeting with the help of vice-chair Burger. Several professors and administrators were also in attendance, as well as six Homewood undergraduates and two parents.
The new committee was formed after the murder of Linda Trinh, incorporating the Security Advisory Committee, which was created after junior Christopher Elser was murdered in his fraternity house last spring.
After introductions, Director of Security Ron Mullen gave a PowerPoint presentation explaining the Security Department's organization as a three-tiered system with McGill at the top; Mullen, the committee, and the security escort van service on the second level; and the officers and staff of the security department at the bottom.
Mullen also said that the shuttle service, which increased in its usage after the Elser murder, is essential to campus security, with 124,000 passengers last year.
Mullen expressed hopes that iXP's plans would improve security.
"The firm is helping to make Hopkins' disjointed operation into a more integrated force," Mullen said.
According to Mullen, iXP is looking into virtual policing through a system of cameras. The company has also provided a model using GPS locators in escort vans so the vans are trackable on the Internet.
The University has also established the Charles Village bike patrol, which currently includes two officers on eight-hour shifts.
Hopefully, Mullen said, in two to three weeks there will be four officers working eight-hour shifts each.
This bike patrol will supplement the 45 full-time, three part-time commissioned Hop Cops -- 15 of which are dedicated to stationary foot patrols -- 44 Silver Star contract officers on campus foot patrols and manning the booth in front of the AMRs, and the 30 Baltimore police officers that regularly patrol Charles Village.
Several committee members expressed their concern at the meeting.
"You can tell people that crimes are decreasing in the area, but they've experienced two catastrophic failures," said Joanne Krauss, the parent of a Hopkins student. "There's a mismatch of perception and reality, and how to define the reality is a problem."
Junior Matt Chung proposed that "the real point is to push culture of security to the students. If left on their own, the students won't care, but if we send out info to students with the registrar stuff, then that might be more streamlined and efficient."
Chung also suggested that the alumni association could integrate security info into the Hopkins discount card.
"Integrating these practical things will create a culture of security without disrupting peoples' lives," said Chung.
"We have to make it clear that the escort vans should only be used for security," said freshman Zachary Moore. "They can be exploited, can't be used just because people are too lazy to walk."
"We're in Baltimore," added Junior Laura Thrift. "Everywhere we go is a security concern -- we need to have more people use the vans."
-- Staff writer Xiao-bo Yuan contributed to this article.
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