TORONTO—More than a third of students at York University feel “unsafe” or “very unsafe” on campus, according to a recent report.
The university – which has two campuses and serves more than 50,000 students – has seen a large number of sexual assaults occur on or near campus in recent years, which prompted the York University Safety Audit. The 62-page report was commissioned by the university president in 2008 in response to the slew of sexual assaults in school residences during the fall of 2007.
The audit was prepared in partnership with the university and the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children. It is based on a review of university documents, 516 safety surveys, focus groups, town hall meetings and two site visits, according to the National Post.
The report documents that there is a low morale amongst security staff, citing that some described their responsibilities as being a “professional witness” because York Security Services employees are trained in non-interventionist methods. Additionally, security officers reportedly arrive to a scene between 20 minutes to three hours after an incident is reported.
The audit also notes that only two staff members monitor the 400 closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras installed throughout the campus. Emergency phones are also lacking on campus, and the phones that are present do not function properly. Furthermore, inadequate lighting and overgrown vegetation are major problems on both campuses.
The university plans to review the audit and develop an action plan over the summer.
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