By Ashlynn Worley

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a study on crime in schools and colleges over a five year period.

Results revealed specific data about crime on campuses.

According to the study, the highest amount of crime on school grounds spike during the month of October.

Keeping students safe is one of the main priorities for Quincy University, so it’s upgrading security measures.

Over the summer, QU had over thirty new security cameras installed campus-wide.

Aleksandra Petrovic, an international student from Serbia, said she never had to think twice about walking alone at night back home.

Although she feels safe on campus, she thinks cameras can only do so much to protect students.

“I don’t know about security cameras. I don’t think that would be such a good idea everywhere, I mean you can put some up but I don’t know if that would actually help for the attack. So I think the best help would only be more security people,” Petrovic said.

With over one-thousand students, QU has seven full-time security officers and two part-time officers.

Director of Security Sam Lathrop said he would like to continue increasing his staff.

Lathrop recently hired a new security officer and said he has a vacant spot he is looking to fill.

“Would I love to have five officers on every shift, every day? Of course I would but that’s just me the security administrator speaking. The realistic view of that is we don’t do that so we take the resources we have and we’re very good at scheduling resources in such a way that we put more resources on duty at a time that are traditionally and historically important times we have extra coverage,” Lathrop said.

In addition to the new security cameras and officer, a few places like the Student Success Center is now a key card access only building.

Certain places around campus have panic buttons in case of emergencies that contact local authorities right away.

QU is in the midst of upgrading the security camera system to be more efficient.

Lathrop said the University is looking to add more exterior cameras around campus as well.

While a few parking lots and most buildings are under constant surveillance, not everywhere on campus is in view of a camera.

“And a lot of it has to do with technology, where wiring is, and what is the least expensive way we can put those camera systems in because they are not cheap,” Lathrop said.

Some students have mixed feelings about the idea of being constantly monitored.

“It can benefit in a way if it deterred [bad] people who wanted to come [on campus] but I don’t think the students would want that just because of their privacy so it can go either way definitely,” Petrovic said.

Twelve more cameras are set to be installed campus-wide this semester.

More key card access entries to buildings are also in the works.

Security will also escort you anywhere on campus if you feel unsafe.