Brandon University plans safety audit following student assault

Brandon University plans to conduct a safety audit of its campus, following a vicious assault and robbery of a young female student just off campus on Nov. 23.

At a town hall event held on Wednesday, university president David Docherty told a room of about 50 people that the audit would review multiple factors, such as crosswalks, organizing security resources and discussing the possibility of (additional) cameras. Applications for conducting the audit will close on Dec. 20.

There is no timeline in place for the completion of the audit, but Docherty said any kind of advice will be considered once the audit is underway.

“One of the things I hope the security audit says … is ‘here’s something you can do right away,’” said Docherty. “If they can give us some quick things to do, we will do those.” He also pointed out that the campus needs more cameras.

On the evening of Nov. 23, a female student was en route to visit friends living in residence on campus when she was attacked, robbed and seriously injured in the 1800 block of Louise Avenue.

In an interview with the Sun on Wednesday, Docherty said the university is requesting funding from the province. He added that the money would cover the costs of the safety audit, and also pay to implement changes around campus.

Faculty members attending the town hall said they would like to start a grassroots safety effort. Douglas Pople, a career planning officer at Brandon University, said it would be the best way to go.

“It’s not somebody else’s job,” said Pople. “Be part of the solution … I think if we could get a few things off the ground, that would be phenomenal.”

He told the Sun he had helped get a light bulb replaced in a darkened area outside the A.E. McKenzie building by sending a text message this year. He hopes that faculty and students will work together in this way to build a more secure campus.

“The takeaway [from tonight] is the continuing-to-talk piece.”

Meanwhile, Docherty termed the robbery and attack last month a rare occurrence.

“This is the first time this has happened in my understanding, in at least, … in 25 years,” said Docherty. “But that doesn’t make it any less frightening, any less real.”

Docherty also suggested that there should be an expansion of the campus’s Safe Walk program, which provides security for people walking to their bus stop, car, or residence. But he said that might require community support.

“I just want people to understand, doubling security is not the answer.”

The university president also noted that callers often get a response such as, “That’ll be 25 minutes because there’s four people in line ahead of you.” He led a discussion about how volunteers can make the difference the school needs to bolster the program.

Faculty and students attending the event suggested ideas, such as paying students to do the safe walks, with the university supplying warm clothing, such as jackets that read “SAFE” for people to sign up to do the walks in the cold winter months.

Going into the town hall on Wednesday, the president said it was a chance to hear opinions from people and brainstorm ideas. He hopes to get everyone on the same page as the university looks to its future.

“Overall, the goal is to find some common ground moving forward,” he said. “Everybody wants a safe campus. There’s no one here on campus who doesn’t want a safe campus. It’s just, how do we get there? If we can get a better sense of that with all different groups, then we’re in a much better place.”

The recent assault has prompted concerns about safety on campus. A protest march was held on Nov. 29, which saw about 25 faculty members and students walking to the president’s office to advocate for safer campus measures.

They also submitted a petition urging him to hold a town hall event to discuss safety on campus. Later that day, the president notified the university community that an upcoming town hall event would be rescheduled and expanded to include a community discussion on the issue.

As reported last month, Brandon Police Service Chief Tyler Bates told the Sun there has been a spurt of similar incidents in the part of the city near the university. The attack on the university student, Bates said, was an isolated incident where the attackers were strangers. He said officers are keeping the area in mind on their patrols and that there is not a heightened risk to the public moving in the area.

Brandon University’s “Safety Around Campus” page includes several recommendations for students, including to walk with others at night, turn down headphones to raise awareness and to avoid dark areas, such as alleys and vacant lots.

Emergency phones are located on campus, outside the Knowles-Douglas Student Union building, the A.E. McKenzie building, the George T. Richardson building and the Brandon University Gymnasium.

At the event on Wednesday, Docherty also revealed that the province is planning a summit on post-secondary safety in the new year.

This story was originally published in the Brandon Sun. It is republished under a Creative Commons license as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.