[Imc] twisted locks, twisted security

[Sehvilla]

The UCIMC's sense of security seems as twisted as the broken lock on the
door. While Steering Committee is taking serious steps to protect the
UCIMC's equipment, sensibly regulating the equipment usage policy, it
defends the silly idea that volunteers shouldn't keep the IMC door locked,
no matter what, because the IMC must be open to everyone. Many of the
volunteers at the IMC will not feel safe using the UC-IMC space unless
they are able to lock the door behind themselves. THE IMC IS NOT OPEN TO
EVERYONE IF ITS VOLUNTEERS/PRODUCERS CAN'T WORK THERE SAFELY! 
It has been suggested that a volunteer could avoid security problems by
working in the production room with the door locked. Some IMCistas feel
like this is a solution, but it probably won't resolve the security
concerns of most concerned volunteers. How is the volunteer to staff the
IMC effectively, if they're locked in the production room? What will they
do if a person comes up and knocks on the production room door and asks
for help with something? Yes, the production room has a phone - if someone
is disrupting the IMC, the volunteer who is locked in the production room
can call 911. But if an attacker wants to hurt someone who's working in
the production room, the deadbolt on the production-room door offers
little protection to the volunteer. They're far away from the front door,
and they're blocked, visually and acoustically, from anyone passing-by on
the street. The production room is full of windows. Three of these windows
are just large sheets of glass. What's stopping an attacker from breaking
a window to attack someone in the production room? No one can hear them
from the street. What protection does the IMC volunteer have in that
situation? 
Fixing the broken lock on the front door will be expensive, and might not
be immediately possible. However, there is no doubt that the IMC should
have the front door fixed, and should honor the concerns of its members
who want to lock the door from the inside. Hopefully the Steering
Committee will be willing to discuss the door issue again soon.

		Sehvilla
		IMC producer/member/volunteer