When Sean Anderson, Eastern student body president, asked all of the student body presidents of Illinois colleges to send him their campaigns, 90 percent of the responses contained an item on campus safety.

Anderson is currently working on the Campus Safety Initiative: Illinois, a plan to improve campus safety not just at Eastern, but across the state.

Illinois currently does not provide funding specifically for campus safety.

Anderson has discussed the possibility of getting funds for Illinois schools with Illinois State Representative Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet.

Rose is interested in writing a resolution that would require the Illinois Board of Higher Education to research campus safety in Illinois, Anderson said.

Other states evaluate campus safety through studies; Illinois does not, he said.

Rose has also offered to print pamphlets on campus safety for Eastern, Anderson said.

IBHE does not have any campus safety studies listed on its website, but it has numerous studies on enrollment, affordability and academic programs.

Anderson has also met with Illinois State Senator Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, and Charleston Mayor John Inyart.

“I offered to write a letter of support if (Anderson) needed, and he said he would let me know,” Inyart said.

The letter from Inyart depends on how far Rose’s resolution goes, Anderson said.

“If it will help the resolution, I would love to have it,” he said.

Last October Anderson organized Campus Safety Week in order to improve safety across campus. Students gave their input on what needed to get done in order to improve it.

Lots of problems have been fixed, including trimming trees that cover up lights and replacing burnt out light bulbs, he said.

According to Dan Nadler, vice president for Student Affairs, progress since October has included initiating plans for security lighting upgrades at the Student Recreation Center, plans for replacing exterior safety doors in the South Quad residence halls and updating the parking map to include locations of emergency phones.

Future projects include more security cameras across campus, more lighting and installing fire sprinklers in Andrews Hall, which will begin this spring or summer, Nadler said.

When it comes to more funding for campus safety, it would allow the university to move ahead faster on projects, he said.

“Additional state funding, however, should not come at the expense of other higher priority needs,” Nadler said. “The fact of the matter is that all areas of Eastern need additional funds from the state.”

Nadler says Eastern has been proactive in the area of campus safety.

“We have done a great job over the years in making improvements,” he said. “We are always engaged in on-going efforts to improve campus safety programs and services.”

While there is not a big crime rate on campus, there is room for improvement, said University police Chief Adam Due.

“More cameras would be like doubling the amount of officers,” he said.

Due would like to see the escort service revived. The service provided students an escort to their dorm if they needed, from a parking lot or the library late at night.

Current Student Body President Sean Anderson discussed campus safety and the need to look into putting money towards university safety with Illinois State Rep. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). (John Bailey / The Daily Eastern News)

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