A recent theft raises the festering concern of security in Cokesbury Court apartments.
A student’s phone was stolen Feb. 9 by a man who requested to use the phone and ran off with it, according to an email sent to the campus community by the OCU Police Department.
Several laundry thefts were reported last semester in the Cokesbury laundry room. There also were two reported intruders in Cokesbury, including a woman who harassed a student in the laundry room.
University officials try to keep Cokesbury secure by fixing the gate at the front entrance and gaps in the fence. Even so, there is a pedestrian gate on the Southeast corner of the fence that never locks and the front gates are often open.
Even with the numerous reports of laundry theft, there have been no attempts to secure the laundry room. Instead, signs posted on the door and walls of the laundry room warn students to not leave laundry unattended. A student should not have to sit on a washer to ensure his laundry isn’t stolen.
The fence offers residents the illusion of security.
Cameras also were installed in the laundry room, but this has not stopped the laundry thefts.
The Cokesbury laundry room is the only laundry facility on campus without a locked door. Anyone can enter the laundry room at any time. In other dorms, students must gain access to the building by using their student ID cards.
Officials should install a card reader on the Cokesbury laundry room door. This would allow only residents to enter the laundry room. Locking the door is a better solution than warning signs.
Card swipe access to the Cokesbury laundry room will not necessarily stop all laundry theft, some of which is likely done by students, but it will limit who can enter the room and improve student safety.
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