[Imcamericorps] Security issues

[scope83]

I would like to echo Brian's call for security and safety. I also spend many
late nights at IMC and in the B2P workroom. Granted that the door to the
room I am working in is locked I would hate to come out one night and run
into someone.

I listen for the bell during B2P's open hours and am always cautious of who
I let in. If I haven't seen them before I ask them if they need help or who
they are looking for. I try to make sure they have some kind of appointment
with someone or get where they need to be. I feel unless there are people
coming in for a specific thing downstairs then they should use the upstairs
door. If they are coming in to check us out I offer to show them around and
answer their questions.

I realize that we cannot always know exactly who is in the building at all
times but when we see people who look lost or wandering if we ask them if
they need help then it will show that we are paying attention and aware
possibly discouraging theft or misuse of space.

Sam

On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 3:11 PM, Brian Duggan <bcdugga at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I witnessed and attempted to address serious security issues at the IMC
> last night. I need to relate what happened, offer suggestions, and add
> some history for context.
>
> History first. This illustrates why the security issues are such a big
> deal.
>
> In June of last year, one of Betsem's paintings and one of his cell
> phones were stolen from his studio around noon on a Saturday. Both the
> Elm Street door and the South basement door were found unlocked. There
> were several IMC members inside on both levels at the time. The total
> value of the stolen items were $750. They were never recovered.
>
> Betsem has always had to deal with unsupervised children entering the
> building after hours. The children range in age from 9 to 17 or 18. They
> routinely enter the building through the Elm street door, the South
> basement door, and sometimes the loading dock door. If there is activity
> in the building, they will hide in stairwells and other poorly-lit areas
> until members leave so that they can use the public computers. When
> Betsem encounters them hiding, he confronts them. The children then
> harass and threaten Betsem before they leave. Both Atef and Betsem
> report that the children use the public computers to view pornography
> and masturbate.
>
> Here's what happened last night.
>
> I left the Finance meeting around 5:45p. I hung around to try to catch
> Durl on his way out, but I missed him. At 6:00p I left the Makerspace to
> exit through the South basement door for a sandwich. As I turned the
> corner, I saw a Bike Project member unlock the South basement door, turn
> and head back to the Bike Project. I found Carol immediately and
> informed her of what I'd seen. Then I left the IMC.
>
> At 6:30, Betsem called me to inform me that he found children hiding in
> the building and that they had harassed and threatened him. I asked him
> if he needed me to come back immediately. He said that I did not because
> they left immediately.
>
> I returned to the IMC at 6:50p and found both the Elm Street door and
> the South basement door unlocked. I entered the Bike Project to discuss
> this with the members. The keyed volunteer, the one who had unlocked the
> South door, said that that's what the Bike Project had always done. He
> said that the Bike Project had been here longer than AmeriCorps. I
> informed them of the security breach that had occurred half an hour
> prior. The only cogent argument for leaving the door unlocked that any
> of the members could offer was that they could not hear the doorbell
> from inside their space.
>
> I asked the members to lock the door last nights due to the security
> breach and that I would relay their desire to hear the doorbell inside
> their space to the building coordinators. They were noncommittal to
> locking the door.
>
> I made a thorough inspection of the entire building at 7:00p and locked
> the Elm Street door. When I returned to the South basement door at
> 7:10p, it was still unlocked. I do not know how to lock the South
> basement door.
>
> Here are some notes and suggestions for myself and others when dealing
> with security issues.
>
> Notes:
> 1. Despite our efforts, security has not meaningfully improved since
> last summer at the IMC.
>
> 2. Members of the IMC and specifically the Bike Project and SDAS (who
> use the Elm Street door) clearly do not understand the severity of their
> negligence of locking doors.
>
> Suggestions:
> 1. All AmeriCorps staff should know which doors should be locked, when,
> and how to lock each door. FYI*:
>
> The Elm Street and South Basement doors should ALWAYS be locked.
>
> The red doors should only be unlocked during IMC open hours - between
> 10am and 6pm, Monday through Friday.
>
> The C4A and front building door should be locked after 9pm every day.
>
> * This is my understanding. Please correct me if these are not right.
>
> All AmeriCorps should know how to lock every door. I will ask Leon to
> show me how to lock the South basement door today.
>
> 2. Teamwork. The Bike Project members made me feel very uncomfortable
> and were dismissive of me when I told them I was an AmeriCorps member.
> In the future, I will try to approach IMC members about security issues
> in a group. I could have asked Carol to accompany me to the Bike Project
> immediately.
>
> Finally, AmeriCorps should feel comfortable asking each other for help
> when they need to address these issues with IMC members. Everyone should
> feel comfortable calling me if they want help. My number is
>
> 631 223 8442
>
> Text or call any time.
>
> Hope this was informative.
>
> Thanks,
> Brian
>
> --
> Brian Duggan
> Technical Projects Developer
> UC Independent Media Center
> http://www.ucimc.org | 631 223 8442
> _______________________________________________
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> Imcamericorps at lists.chambana.net
> http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/imcamericorps
>
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