With the return to in-person classes, comes the return of weekend parties and renewed questions about student safety and the possibility of increased COVID-19 cases.
Campus security recently underwent...
The first four weeks of school have seen a record-number of bike thefts on campus, according to Whitman Campus Security.
Security Officers and the Walla Walla Police Department have received reports of bikes being stolen from all over campus, ranging everywhere from North Hall to Anderson Hall, as well as at off-campus houses.
On Friday, Jan. 23, the Whitman College campus experienced a loss of cell service and access to 911 after a fiber optic cable was cut by a backhoe operator. The severed cable disrupted communication in...
Improved collaboration and identification of the loose roles of Campus Security and the Walla Walla Police Department in the past few years have helped make these organizations more effective, with Campus Security being the first to respond to incidents on campus and police arriving if they receive a complaint.
On the Whitman campus, Whitman ID cards are both credit card and key. One swipe can allow access to dorms and other campus buildings, authorize purchases to a Student Account, charge meals or flex dollars from a Bon Appétit meal plan and check out materials from the library.
In the aftermath of recent security breaches around campus and the arrest of senior Simon Van Neste on Thursday October 24, Chief Information Officer Dan Terrio sent an email to Whitman staff, faculty and students regarding the need for changes to the current swipe card system. At this time, Van Neste has not been formally charged with a crime.
The landscape of campus changes when you're a Whitman security officer. A peaceful place to sit and read or an easy path to take to get to class could become a more dangerous area after dark. These spots—whether poorly lit at night or difficult to see from trafficked areas—see criminal activity more often than others.
First-year Maggie Appleton feels utterly safe in her Whitman bubble and is not paranoid about members of the Walla Walla community wreaking havoc upon her notions of security.
"The really dodgy ones...
