Some cameras that currently watch over the Nebraska Avenue parking lot are being replaced and upgraded, allowing Public Safety officers in the future to see and record all activities taking place in the lot.
There were previously cameras located in the parking lot, but some of the current cameras used outdated technology that malfunctioned frequently, Public Safety Chief Michael McNair said in an e-mail.
"Several of the cameras had already been replaced, and the rest are being replaced now," he said.
The entire parking lot is covered with the new cameras, which provide a clear view, he said.
During the day, officers can make out a car's tag number with the new cameras. At night, the view is "not as detailed but ... clear enough for identification of a person," McNair said in the e-mail.
Although the cameras are not constantly monitored, they are recording 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are helpful in patrolling large areas, McNair said.
"Cameras provide a cost effective way to provide security monitoring over a wide area," he said in the e-mail. "It requires fewer personnel to cover more area and faster."
While most students interviewed in the lot said they felt safe, there was an armed robbery Oct. 21 in the parking lot, according to a crime alert on the Public Safety Web site.
"A black male ... approached a female visitor while sitting in her vehicle. The suspect yielded a knife and demanded property," according to the crime alert, supplemented with information from the Metropolitan Police Department.
"I've never felt unsafe, even at night," said Michelle Mays, a graduate student in the School of International Service. She said she never knew there were cameras present.
McNair says the malfunctioning cameras played no role in the Oct. 21 robbery.
"Since the robbery suspect would have no way of knowing when and which cameras malfunctioned, it is doubtful that a malfunctioning camera contributed to the robbery," he said in the e-mail.
Many students entering and leaving the lot said they did not even know about the robbery.
Another robbery occurred in the Nebraska lot on Nov. 7, 2004.
"A black male approached a woman from behind. He grabbed her, picked her up and threw her to the ground while taking her bag," according to the crime alert with information from the MPD.
Bernard Pierson, a senior in the Kogod School of Business, said he has never felt unsafe in the lot, but he agrees with fixing the cameras.
"[They're] not necessary, but useful," he said.
Some students question what effect cameras will have in deterring crime.
"I don't feel it will be a deterrent, but a small chance in nabbing someone after the fact," said Cavan Wilk, a master's student in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Kate Diesinger, a senior in the School of Communication and School of Public Affairs, also questioned the effectiveness.
"We have cameras in other places, and they haven't helped so far," she said.
McNair said the cameras would be more helpful for catching suspects.
"[Cameras] provide a means of recording exactly what events took place in a specific area at a specific time," he said in the e-mail. "Eyewitness accounts are often flawed and misleading. The recordings done by the cameras can be viewed at a later date by Public Safety personnel after a crime has been reported in the area"
