MAIYA HOLLIDAY Security officer Abraham Sturgis
IV stand in front of the security booth where he logs in
all vehicles that enter the receiving dock area at Ackerman
Union.
By Debra Marisa Greene
Daily Bruin Contributor
Some university employees say they feel safer now than prior to
Sept. 11.
The Associated Students of UCLA took new security measures by
installing gates and hiring an on-duty guard near Ackerman Union
over winter break.
These security initiatives were decided prior to Sept. 11, but
the attacks served as a wake-up call, ASUCLA officials said.
“We were looking to do these precautions for awhile,
especially the control of trucks and pedestrians, but the events of
Sept. 11 brought attention to our vulnerability,” said Gene
Robinson, security director for ASUCLA.
On the south side of Ackerman Union is a parking and receiving
dock and trash bins which were accessible to almost anyone before
the addition of the gates.
Keith Schoen, the director of retail operations, said
unauthorized vehicles parked in that area have always been a
problem.
Gates and a guard facility were added over break to make the
area unaccessible to unauthorized vehicles and to control the
trucks entering. A guard will be stationed inside the gated area
daily to check that the proper trucks are arriving at the right
location.
Additional guards will patrol the heat ventilating and
air-conditioning rooms in Kerckhoff Hall and Ackerman Union to
ensure that they are properly locked.
“We are trying to keep students, staff, employees, and
visitors safe, but we need cooperation,” Robinson said,
suggesting that people report things that look suspicious and keep
office doors closed at night.
The renovations have added both aesthetics and safety to the
campus, Schoen said.
“It’s an attractive adding to the ambiance of UCLA,
and I feel a lot more secure than prior to Sept. 11,” Schoen
said.
After Sept. 11, university police adjusted its priorities,
including more visible patrols, said Nancy Greenstein, director of
police communication services.
“It is important that we all work together to maintain a
safe environment for the UCLA community,” Greenstein
said.
She added that it is a positive thing that people are now more
aware and concerned about their environment.
“There have been more calls from constituents sharing
their concern about any suspicious circumstances,” she
said.
ASUCLA hopes to continue adding more security initiatives,
according to Robinson.
“We have taken lots of steps in the right direction, but
there is still more to do,” he said, adding that he hopes to
see even better access control and more on-site security in the
future.