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| Security clampdown on crime for scared students | Send to a friend |
| Written by Farah Halime | |||||
| Tuesday, 25 November 2008 18:00 | |||||
 Anxious students worried about gangs and drug-taking in halls of residence are getting tighter security to tackle bad behaviour.
In a bid to create a crime-free environment, a recent shift in focus has led to a more visible presence of security guards at all halls and campuses during the day and night. The 24-hour/365-day service, provided by Kingston University Service Company Ltd (KUSCO), aims to increase awareness of the availability of the team, so that all students, staff and visitors are able to get assistance when required. One student, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “It’s a visual thing ... I always see guards after 7am, and especially more recently because some boy got beaten up”. Other incidents of crime in student accommodation may have also contributed to higher security. A friend of 18-year-old Hannah Storer witnessed a drug raid in Clayhill accommodation in the first week of University. Hannah said: “She felt intimidated from the guys, and didn’t want to walk back [to her room] on her own. She moved out because she didn’t feel safe, but security have clamped down now.” KUSCO ensures all halls of residence are staffed at all times, together with mobile officers who are able to respond to situations immediately. George Davies, Head of Security at KUSCO, said: “Security is everyone’s responsibility and has become a matter of prime importance throughout all academic institutions and in everyday life in the UK. No organisation can afford to take its security for granted. Security can be critical to the reputation of the institution or to the ‘feel-good’ factor and even to its competitiveness and will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is appropriate”.
The focus of the security service is to help students to feel safe and secure, and so Davies urges anyone who has concerns to speak to their Hall Manager in the first instance.
Picture credit : John Alex Maguire/Rex Features
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