By ALEXIS SACCONE
Contributing Writer
The streets of Albany are not as safe as people may think; during the day or night, it doesn’t make a difference. That was the message delivered by Head of Security Steve Stella and Security Guard David Mankad at the presentation titled “Personal Safety Presentation” last month.
The presentation had a variety of ways to show the students how to be safe and street smart, and included important tips. Some tips for students were to make sure you aren’t walking alone in the streets without your friends; most people who have had their phones stolen were simply looking down while texting. This is referred to as “apple picking.”
It took the officers a total of 3 to 4 hours to create the presentation and took about an hour to present. The presentation is changed and updated every year with new information that they believe is relevant to all of the students.
The presentation began with a movie on dorm fires. It consisted of a mock fire in a dorm room that was decorated how the way most college students would choose to decorate their own rooms. The students in the clip were not aware of how fast a fire could spread.
Mankad provided information about the dorm rooms here at Saint Rose and all of the safety features they have to fight the fires, such as the rooms being fully equipped with sprinklers. He then showed the proper ways to use a power strip and a fire extinguisher.
There was not only advice for the students that live on campus, but for commuters as well whohave their own apartments. The attendance of the safety presentation was lacking in numbers.
After the video, the presentation shifted to a PowerPoint about street safety. Stella provided information about how not to be an easy mark for people on the streets and how the Saint Rose officers can help the students when in trouble.
Saint Rose provides security alerts and advisories for students so they are aware of what is going on at all times. Also, there were tips on what to do in case of evacuation emergencies or if the school was to go in a lock down situation.
Albertus is one of the buildings here at Saint Rose that has a lock down button that immediately locks all of the doors. The campus provides an escort system that is available 24 hours, seven days a week, all year round. The service consists of a security officer walking you anywhere you need to get to.
It also is important that students are aware of the blue light call boxes that can be used year- round as well.
Another safety feature Saint Rose offers students is transportation from a shuttle bus or a taxi cab. Saint Rose has a shuttle for on and off-campus students and will take you where you need to go. The taxi voucher is affiliated with Yellow Cab and if a voucher is filled out, students will be billed on their student accounts at a later time and they would not be required to pay after receiving the ride to their destination.
“Giving safety tips to students is important, especially freshman, because it is their first time away from home,” Mankad said.
Stella was a police officer for 24 years before coming to Saint Rose, and has learned a lot when it comes to safety, whether it’s from his own personal experiences while he was on the street, or from stories he has heard. His main goal is to connect with the students, and hopes that they will educate themselves in situational awareness.
“Students need to be aware with what’s going on without being paranoid,” Stella said.
