Keep your eyes peeled

Last week, a well-dressed man claiming to be affiliated with Columbia walked into at least three lectures and sold $5 tickets that would ostensibly grant admission to 12 nightclubs, including Pacha and Webster Hall. Understandably, some students were conned into buying the fake tickets.

Our immediate reaction to this incident might be one of alarm. What does this say about campus safety? Could this incident have been prevented? We may question Columbia University Public Safety and its ability to maintain a safe campus. Yet it shouldn’t surprise us that this incident occurred. The appearance of a con man is by no means unfeasible. Columbia’s campus is open to the public. We have gates, but they are open at all hours of the night. Residents of Morningside Heights regularly stroll across College Walk, whether to find a shorter route from Broadway to Amsterdam or to walk their dogs. Tourists come out of the 116th Street subway station to snap pictures with Alma Mater, and prospective students walk around wondering whether they should apply. Having an open campus creates a vibrant atmosphere and is something that most students appreciate.

It would be unreasonable for Columbia to restrict the public from accessing the campus. Although this isolated incident is concerning, we have to accept that it wasn’t Public Safety’s responsibility to stop the perpetrator. It would be illogical and unwelcoming for Columbia to stop or search people in broad daylight without good reason. We should acknowledge that Public Safety did exactly what it was supposed to do—it responded to the incident and apprehended the perpetrator.

In his column from last Friday (“A wallet-sized offense,” Feb. 2), Jeremy Liss jokes that he receives “more spam from Public Safety than Viagra,” but this sentiment is indicative of what Public Safety does to keep us safe. Public Safety does a good job of making Columbia’s campus safe without being invasive or overbearing. There is little else that we could or should have expected from Public Safety last week. We should recognize that we live in a large city with many people, and, as a result, must be vigilant as individuals both on and off campus. It is our collective duty to ensure campus safety.