UWI takes steps to beef up security

There has been some improvement in security at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, in responses to a spate of robberies Student Guild president Jonathan St Louis-Nahous has disclosed.

The campus administration authorised the placement of floodlights in areas that were poorly lit, St Louis-Nahous told Newsday on Thursday.

“Another issue security has had is distinguishing who is a student from who isn’t, so we’ve also managed to organise providing students with free student ID card holders and lanyards so that it will be easier to recognise students, so things are being done,” he said.

While pleased with the increased security measures, Louis-Nahous maintains more needs to be done in order to ensure the safety of students. He said he would continue to host talks with students for their suggestions on what could be done to improve security. He said increased foot patrols and an increase in the number of security guards were also necessary for a reduction in robberies.

“We intend to continue our discussions with the rest of the student body so that they can provide some insight into what can be done to give students a greater sense of ease and security.”

On Wednesday, Deputy Principal Professor Indar Ramnarine issued a release in which he confirmed three students were robbed near the tennis courts and urged students and staff to exercise caution as they make their way from classrooms to their dormitories and parking lots.

He also reassured students the administration was introducing new security measures such as the enforcement of a no thoroughfare zone on campus, increased patrols and increasing security checkpoints on campus.

On Thursday, some disgruntled students took to social media to express their frustration over robberies and threatened to stage protests if administration did not beef-up security.