October 30, 2008
Students living in the Residence halls have noticed that there are signs in the front of every parking lot saying, "This area subject to camera surveillance." Rumors say that instead of campus police doing rounds around the Residence halls, they have been using the cameras as a way of cracking down on illegal behavior.

"I like that idea if they are using the cameras to catch students in the act," said Kim Evans, 20, Recreation major. "I feel that students will take their illegal acts off campus if they know police are watching them through the cameras. It makes me feel safer knowing that."

According to the CSULB Crime Statistics for 2007 there were 28 motor vehicle thefts, 15 burglary's, two robberies, four sexual assaults and two aggravated assaults on campus.

"As a girl, I need to know that something bad isn't going to happen to me if I just go out to get something out of my car," said Maddy Hillis, 19, Liberal Studies. "If something goes wrong, a camera isn't going to safe my life. The campus Police just need to do their rounds more frequently."

Though some students believe these cameras could reduce crime rates, others feel strongly that the cameras are not going to help at all. But there are some who think in the middle of both situations.

"I know that Lot 20 across from the dorms hardly has any light during the night and the shuttles run until midnight," said Craig Schultz, 20, Film and Electronic Arts. "I see the cameras as an extra eye for the parking lots but I don't think it is right if the Police are using the cameras to just spy on people. Police need to do their rounds around the Residence halls and use the cameras as extra leverage for the parking lots only."