EDITORIAL: Drowning in the high-tech waters

Working blue light phones are more essential than the latest technological advances. Even after a 16-month delay, officials say the 15 new blue light emergency telephones installed last month are not yet fully functional and would only "probably work" if someone tried to use them. For $300,000 -- the amount the University originally planned to spend installing 60 new phones around campus -- "probably" is not nearly good enough. There is no doubt that the emergency phone system desperately needed to be revamped. A review of the system in 1995 found 34 of 226 sites plagued with defects ranging from poor wiring to burnt-out light bulbs. An additional six were completely inoperable. And 95 phones did not meet Americans with Disabilities Act specifications, which mandate wheelchair and hearing-impaired access. Even if people don't need to use the emergency phones frequently, they are beneficial to the area around campus, making students and faculty feel safer. If the University is going to continue to bill the blue light phones as a safety resource, however, students must be assured of the phones' reliability. The 15 new phones don't even contain signs warning that they are still being tested. In updating the emergency phone system, officials went with top of the line technology. The new phones are cellular and transmit their information through a signal back to the police station, while the older phones are directly connected to the building via a wire. One factor slowing the installation of the new phones is the long process necessary to erect each phone, which requires a base, a pole support, solar panels and a blue strobe light. The older phones are not solar-powered and have a bright blue light at ground level. While the recently-opened police headquarters on the 4000 block of Chestnut Street is equipped to ensure that the new phones remain in optimal working condition, officials must get them working first. As the phones have also long been marred by glitches, the question arises: Was it worth spending all that money on cutting-edge technology if installation has been such a hassle? As Public Safety officials continue to look into new campus security technology, they should be more careful in weighing the potential difficulties of installation against the benefits.