Georgetown University has begun installing card readers at lobby level elevators and stairwell doors in dormitories to reinforce the existing card reader system.
The new measures will require students to swipe their card to enter the dorms, swipe their card again with a security guard in the lobby and swipe their card for a third time to access a stairwell or press an elevator button, according to georgetownvoice.com.
Georgetown University Police Department Chief Jay Gruber said the department felt security was insufficient in the previous system, which only required students to swipe their cards twice.
The additional card readers are expected to be active by the end of the Fall 2015 Semester. The Copley, LXR and Nevils residence halls won’t be part of the upgrade but are expected to get additional card readers once more funding becomes available.
The security guards currently monitoring most residence hall lobbies are either student workers or Allied Barton Security officers. The guards’ hours won’t change during the current school year as a result of the security upgrade, although the campus police department will reevaluate guard hours and shifts before the Fall 2016 semester.
