April 17, 2008
NYU Lockdown on the Horizon
On the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting, NYU officials announced yesterday that the university is "exploring installing an unprecedented security system involving an electronic remote lockdown system that would shut down classrooms and entire buildings" in the event of an emergency.
If it pans out, this would be the first of its kind at a school, allowing officials to bolt classroom doors and building entrances, as well as reach staff and students through a public-address system. It would be placed in the more heavily trafficked buildings and dorms, mostly near Washington Square, with the Silver Center being highest priority.
Does NYU have the cash for the undertaking? They'll be finding out this summer and will then determine whether the purchase will be made after they test-drive it on one of the buildings. Washington Square News reports currently "the first line of defense against armed assailants is the police. Public safety guards are unarmed; in a crisis, they are supposed to call 911."
Photo via shamrocktattoo's flickr.
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I can't see what could possibly go wrong.
It'll be like shooting fish in a barrel after being enraged from a lock-in with a room full of students.
Remote locking of doors? Yeah, there's nothing that could go wrong with that system...
does NYU have the cash? Uhh, at 1100 per credit hour, that breaks down $1 for every single minute you are in an NYU classroom over the course of a semester.
Universities seems to think a lockdown is the best solution in a crisis.
I was on campus when St John's was locked down for 3 hours last fall. No one was allowed to leave.
This will work perfectly if all freshmen are granted handguns and free Xanax at orientation.
Remote lock all the doors, then someone just pulls a fire alarm and they'll all open back up again.
Once the doors are locked, can they keep them that way forever?
How about pairing NYU students with NYPD Police Academy students? Each NYU student could have their own bodyguard which would prepare them for the security protocol of their future careers and Police Academy students would learn at first hand the proper proceedure for protecting valued members of our society.
that's a great idea Tom. let's rephrase the article to: "NYU develops lockdown system prohibiting all students from entering the east or west village."
Letting the students carry guns, and requiring at least one redneck to be registered for each class, would stop a crazed gunman much more quickly and cheaply. At least let the guards be armed, come on.
Locking the unarmed students and the unarmed guards in with the gunman instead is a much better idea... if one's goal is to get as many NYU students killed as possible. Stupid.
Creepy!
it must really suck to be one of the kids locked in the classroom with the crazy gunman. you ain't gettin' out alive!
only a school catering mostly to kids (and their parents) from the suburbs would even entertain a notion like this.
i freely admit this as an NYU alum who grew up in the suburbs.
Didn't they already do this commercial with the guy whose foot turned green from smoking so they cut off his leg or am I missing something?
C'mon. NYU students only need less open spaces. With NYU's suicide rate, the only way a NYU student is gonna get killed is if they jump off the library or they are the one's getting landed on.
I guess if you made the doors lock so you couldn't go out, but be allowed to enter it might work.