Public Safety plans 'show-and-tell' for students

A Division of Public Safety event later this month will give students the opportunity to try out various high-tech security devices that may be deployed on campus in the near future. The "Public Safety Expo" will take place March 26 and 27 in Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge. All students and faculty are invited to the event, which will offer displays of new equipment and provide information about various security services available on campus. Security Director Chris Algard said the event was originally envisioned as a "show-and-tell day" of the different types of security equipment the University is considering. But the event has been broadened to include information about the various Public Safety divisions. According to Algard, the event will include demonstrations of the new cellular blue light phones which will be installed on and around campus, safety films and information on victim support services, University police and SpectaGuard patrol operations. But the highlight of the event will be an opportunity to test new Sensormatic security technology that the University is considering bringing to campus, such as biometric hand and iris scanners. Administrators signed a long-term contract last October with the Sensormatic Electronics Corporation to provide the University with high-tech security equipment. In an interview last week, Managing Director of Public Safety Tom Seamon said the event would be an opportunity for "students to get in there and touch and operate the stuff." He explained there will be several Public Safety and Sensormatic representatives at the expo to explain to students "what has been going on and what's envisioned in the future." The University has already purchased a centralized network of alarm systems from Sensormatic, but Seamon said future possibilities -- such as installing biometric hand scanners -- "depends on acceptance by students and faculty." In January, Algard had said that residential security plans would not be finalized until various options were evaluated by the Department of Housing and Residence Life. Public Safety Officials planned the event after a request from the student representatives to the Residential Advisory Board. Algard added that RAB plans to survey students at the event for feedback on the Sensormatic equipment. College freshman Nikki Rae, co-chairperson of the RAB's Safety and Security Committee, said such an event "is the only way to get broad student feedback on the products." But Rae stressed that the event will focus on all Public Safety services -- and not just the Sensormatic technology. She described the event as a way for students to interact with Public Safety officials "about the security measures they'd like to see implemented on campus."