Reporter’s Log: University of Technology
Day 1: Oct 24y
Getting onto the campus was easy enough as the guard at the campus’ pedestrian entrance asked neither for identification nor the purpose of my visit to the school.
Taking a stroll around the campus, I noted several other housing areas close to the campus cricket field. They had no security posts leading to them.
Their only defence was a green chain link fence. I began to case the area and found that I could walk right up, and sometimes even around, to the back of some of the houses. However, I couldn’t get into the houses because they had security grilles protecting the front and back doors. I figured, however, that if someone was to leave their grille open the houses would be easy prey.
Having learnt that anyone can come on campus in a motor vehicle, I decided to test the efficiency of the measure in place to get off the campus in a vehicle.
Like most institutions, UTech security guards issue drivers a card at the campus main gate upon entry. The card is returned to the security guard upon leaving the campus.
Any motorist leaving who cannot produce a card is made to pay $500 after making arrangements with the security personnel on the campus.
After going to the Accounts Receivables building on the campus to pay the $500 and get a receipt, you go to the security office at the administrative building. There you speak to the security supervisor, who then takes the details about you car and your licence information. After that, arrangements are made with the security guard at the gate to escort your vehicle off the campus.
Should you lose your card after 5:00 pm, when the Accounts Receivables section is closed, you deal directly with the security supervisor from start to finish.
“We have a 24-hour system running here, and there is always someone here to facilitate you,” a security guard assured me when I asked about the procedure.
However, the primary disadvantage of the exit-card system is that it does not record the licence number of the cars on entry. Therfore, there is nothing to prevent a person from leaving the campus with a different car.
Day 2: Oct 25
Although students are required to show their identification cards to the security guard posted at the entrance to the Calvin McCain Library before entering, I got around that restriction easily by saying that I forgot my ID. After looking me up and down for a moment, the guard said, “Alright, gwaan nuh”.
After spending a few moments I finally left the library, once again unsearched and unnoticed.
Feeling a little bored, I decided to visit a lecture. As I stepped into the classroom I began to wonder if anyone would notice the new addition and raise an alarm. At any rate, I had already planned what to say if my presence was questioned – I was visiting from another school and was sitting in on the lecture.
Nobody, however, paid much attention to me. I collected a handout and took my seat while the lecturer began his lesson on research methodologies.
Halfway through the lecture, another student, who was less than interested, asked me several times whether what was being taught was in the course textbook.
“Excuse me, yuh know if that in the textbook?” she asked, pointing to the information being scribbled on the whiteboard by the lecturer.
“I dunno,” I replied, and kept on feigning interest.
In what seemed like a blur, the class ended shortly afterwards. I went outside and relaxed for a while.
Several moments later, as I reflected on the rape of two young women at the United Theological College campus, I decided to see about getting onto the dorms at UTech.
I approached the all-female Amy Jacques Garvey Hall and noticed that I could get through because there was no security post at the entrance. The attempt proved futile, however, because I needed a swipe card to get through the hall’s only entrance which is across from a popular student hangout spot. I, therefore, would have been conspicuous standing outside the door to catch someone going in.
Not to be outdone, I went over to the all-male Farquharson Hall where I went in with ease but chose not to stay too long out of disinterest.
Walking back to a spot on the campus that I had designated my HQ, I made a striking observation – panic buttons. The buttons were below some charts with drawings indicating several scenarios prompting the pushing of the buttons. The most striking picture was one of a woman with a frightened look on her face and an assailant’s hand on her back.
Day 3: Oct 26
Arriving at the UTech in the late afternoon, my first task was to check to see if I could get onto the different halls of residence again. Getting onto the Amy Jacques Garvey Hall once again proved difficult because I didn’t have a swipe card for the main entrance, and I would have been very conspicuous waiting outside the entrance for someone to leave the door open long enough for me to enter.
Walking over to Farquharson Hall I had no problem going in with persons who opened the hall’s entrance with their swipe card. In a rather surprising scenario, just before I strolled through the hall entrance (while I was examining the modus operandi of the men going through the door) one guy walked up to the door, banged on it twice, shouting, “Unu let me in deh”, and shortly afterwards someone opened the door and let him in.
Next, I passed by the residences near the campus cricket field, checking for any windows of opportunity. The grilles on one of the houses had been left wide open and I could walk right up to the front door. I took a picture, even though it seemed too dark to reproduce properly.
I then decided to visit another class to see once again whether anyone would notice my presence. Again, I went to the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Vocational Studies. Judging by their attire, the participants were evidently part-time, working students. On two occasions, students in the class asked me to sit elsewhere because I was in their seats, but overall no one seemed to mind my presence.
After spending the bulk of the time confused about what was being taught, I decided to try to draw some attention to myself, to see once again whether my unfamiliarity would be detected.
My chance came as the class was wrapping up and the students started heckling the lecturer about that fact. I joined in the heckling saying, “Time up”, and “Class done now”. The only response my outbursts received was agreement.
In my final task for the night, I once again went into the Calvin McCain Library. I had no need for an ID, having walked through the turnstyle, barely acknowledging the guard. I spent a few moments perusing the shelves then took a picture of an upstairs reading room and left.