The University of South Florida is beefing up its campus safety measures.
Hundreds of surveillance cameras have been put outside of dorms to increase student safety, according to a WFTS Tampa Bay report.
Tailgating – the act of unauthorized personnel gaining access to buildings through people holding the door for them – is a major security concern for college campuses. The seemingly nice and innocent act puts dorms and the students living in them in jeopardy.
RELATED: Ind. High School’s Security Upgrade Allows for Real-Time Police Surveillance
The university, which spent more than half a million dollars on the cameras, hopes they will combat the problem by monitoring who comes in or out of the dorms.
“This was launched as a proactive measure as part of an effort to enhance the safety of our community,” said Ana Hernandez, assistant vice president for Housing and Residential Education.
USF has more than 5,600 students living on campus. One of them, Jessica Machala, has lived on campus the past two years. While she’s never been concerned for her safety, she supports USF’s plan to install the cameras.
“I think the cameras will definitely help if anything were to happen,” she said.
The cameras will also be placed in laundry rooms, but not sleeping spaces.
