University of Massachusetts police led about 30 students and staff on the annual night-time “Walk for Light” tour on Wednesday to identify potential safety hazards all around campus.
The event, which started several years ago, brings together students, staff and campus police. It has led to the installation of lighting and additional police call boxes on campus.
UMass Police Chief John Horvath was happy to see the group come together on Wednesday evening and said the event was a great way to build community and to address any safety issues students and staff might have.
“Safety on campus is everybody’s responsibility,” Horvath said. “The UMPD will lead the charge on that but it’s really incumbent on everybody to take care of each other.”
This year’s walk comes just two months after former student Patrick Durocher, 18, of Longmeadow was arrested on charges of aggravated rape outside the Campus Center during the early morning hours on Sept. 2.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that, “According to court records, UMass Police responded to an emergency call about 1:15 a.m. at the north side of the Campus Center involving a woman on the ground and a man standing over her.”
According to the Gazette, “This is the third rape allegation involving a student on campus that led to criminal charges in the last 12 months.”
Safety on campus is important to students like Sanah Rizvi, a sophomore psychology major who acknowledged the safety concerns of students. She echoed the words of Horvath on the need for a collaborative approach to campus safety.
“I realize that a lot of students have problems on campus and I think it is really important to be a part of the solution,” she said.
UMass Deputy Police Chief Patrick Archbald organized the group into seven teams that walked around designated areas of campus.
Team leaders, physical plant workers and UMPD officers accompanied students who made periodic stops to note street light outages or to note the location of emergency call boxes.
Archbald was glad to have students’ input during the walk.
“It is important to get student involvement,” he said. “Everyone wants people to feel safe walking around campus.”
Participants included members of the UMPD, residential life, the Student Government Association, physical plant workers and residence hall security.
All of the teams’ notes were compiled at the end of the walk and a report will be sent to the physical plant, where plans will be made to repair lights and address other security issues. Those issues include overgrown trees and bushes that might block lighting and visibility in the darker parts of campus.
Harvath said, “Items should be fixed a day or two after the ‘Walk for Light.’”
Sophomore Madison Goldstein, a sociology major and associate speaker of the SGA, says she feels safe on campus and that events like this remind her that campus security and the UMPD really care about the safety issues facing students.
“I know a lot about safety resources on campus, but I think that more work on outreach would be ideal,” she said.
Tom Fydenkevez, section head of mechanical and electrical utilities at UMass, walked with group six, which explored the northern section of campus. He explained to students the behind-the-scenes workings of the University.
Fydenkevez said that utilities workers make weekly trips around campus looking for burnt-out lights, but stressed the importance of student assistance.
“Events like this are good because these are the students who walk around here every day, so they know,” he said.
Jason Kotoch can be reached at [email protected].
