[Imc] twisted locks, twisted security

[Clint Popetz]

On Tue, Feb 12, 2002 at 03:31:37PM -0600, Sehvilla wrote:
> 
> 
> 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? 

Similarly, how could they possibly staff the IMC effectively if the
front door is locked?  I think the point of the suggestion to lock the 
production room door was not to provide safety while staffing, but
rather later at night.

> What will they
> do if a person comes up and knocks on the production room door and asks
> for help with something? 

Use common sense and their own feeling of personally safety to decide
how to act?

> 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. 

The production room deadbolt is actually a much more secure lock than
that on the front door.

> 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? 

Ditto for an attacker approaching the front door, no?


No amount of locks/procedures/safeguards can make someone feel safe
in any situation.  The suggestions that have been made by the steering
committee and others have been an attempt to balance the needs of
individuals using the space late at night without allowing the space
to be monopolized, which is essentially what happens when the door is
locked from the inside.

My suggestion would be: if you don't feel safe working at the IMC late
at night without locking everyone else out, then use the buddy system
and/or come in to work during hours when others are present.  Safety
in numbers...

				-Clint