There are times like these where you don't really know what to think. Times like when I found out about the September 11th attacks, or the Columbine Shootings. This, coming on the heels of the Shooting at Virgina Tech, is one of those times.
Tim does raise some interesting points over at UBC Insiders, though.
I am, however, reminded of one thing, and that is the importance of a functioning campus safety and security network. I feel incredibly blessed that there are mechanisms on UBC's campus that do their absolute best to help make this institution the safest possible. Our Blue Light Phones, for example, are a beacon, quite literally, of safety on campus. Campus security patrols too are important. But I think that the most important thing for development of a safe campus is Safewalk.
People rag on Safewalk all the time, especially at the yearly Safewalk service presentation to AMS Council. And there are some legitimate arguments - the cost per walk is often above thirty dollars. But they do more than just walk. They also patrol around campus, acting as students who we can count on. The Safewalk logo is the most recognizable brand on campus, and everyone knows who the people are in the red coats. So, yes, perhaps Safewalk costs a fair amount (mere pennies a student, by the way), but when faced with the choice that we see today, between 31 dollars or 31 lives, there's no contest.
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6 comments:
Matt, I totally agree with you on the importance of Safewalk, but your blog seems to be a bit too much beyond reality. The Safewalk is GREAT, but it does NOT, and definitely is NOT the only one that can save lives. After all, in an incident like what happened at Virginia Tech, the police and the campus security play an even more crucial role! I know the Safewalk can help inform the campus, but they cannot stop the shooting!
Ahh, you've caught me. (Before I continue, please refer to the point of being 'reminded' of things, not directly associating them.) I do tend to free associate. The only thing that could have saved lives at VT was swift action by campus security to cancel classes after the first shooting.
That said, Safewalk builds a community on campus, one of safety and inclusion. They are part of the campus culture, and one which I think is essential. Notably, they present a visible campus presence for safety. After all, its not just through death that lives can be ruined. How many people do not get sexually assaulted or mugged on campus because of Safewalk and the BlueLight phones?
Will killings like Monday's be stopped? No. But other human tragedies can be.
Totally agree with your point and I absolutely support that program
To be fair, the cost is at least a hundred times more than you're saying - $200k translates to roughly $5 per student than mere pennies.
And a program that takes up a tenth of the discretionary budget is rather hard to defend as being useful on the base of its symbolic importance to creating a culture of safety. Safewalk usage and service has been roughly stable for the past ten years but (I believe) that crime in campus has gone down. This would be more likely related to better lighting on campus and $200k per year could go a long way to tackling that issue.
It's not really a symbolic importance, but rather a practical importance. Feeling safe is as important as being safe.
Additionally, its a lot less expensive than some other discretionary expenses, like the *US publications, or beer gardens, which are basically subsidized booze.
Yeah, but it's a false dichotomy is compare Safewalk to *US activities like their publications and beer gardens, since the AMS does neither of those. Taking money away from Safewalk can mean something of equal value is funded (ie lighting).
The important thing is to not let something intangible (and I'm not saying intangible means lacking value) like safety be a prima facie justification for expenditure. The Husky Patrol of the Saint Mary's University Student Association utilizes two minivans, covering a service area roughly the size of Point Grey, does 12,000 client services (or roughly twice that of Safewalk) and does it for $56k a year (though net loss is only $41k after sponsorship). These numbers of freely available on smusa.ca (though you would have to ask their Husky Patrol manager for the client service number). Dalhousie runs a similar service called the Tiger Patrol, budgeted next year for $37.9k.
That's a difference in cost per service of $33 at the AMS to $4.70 at SMUSA. It is fully justified to force a service like Safewalk to be more efficient and accountable when we know that it is possible to do it. The problem is when student politicians (and I was absolutely one of them) allow themselves to fall into the safety rhetoric without realizing that achieving safety has very l8ittle to do with the amount of expenditure.
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