Last week, former Miami University football player Zachary Marshall was found guilty of burglary. The student whose dorm room he entered told The Cincinnati Enquirer that Miami should consider making campus safer by installing security cameras around residence halls. The editorial board of The Miami Student believes that placing security cameras on campus is unnecessary and would do little to improve security.
Although the particular crime that sparked this suggestion occurred on campus, the majority of reported break-in crimes happen off campus. So this measure would target the area where security is least pressing. Furthermore, installing cameras everywhere on campus is impractical. After the initial decision to use them is made, the administration would have to decide where to put cameras in the dorms. But where do you draw the line? One could go so far as to argue that students wouldn't be safe unless a camera was put in every room. It becomes difficult to find a proper balance between security and privacy. Placing cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms probably would be pushing that boundary, but the crime that gave rise to this idea happened in a bedroom.
Moreover, merely installing security cameras would be insufficient. The university would also need to hire people to watch and review the tapes. Even in a superficial analysis of such a measure, the cost will quickly escalate to a point where it simply would not be cost-effective. Even security officers watching the feed around the clock could not deter every criminal. It would not prevent perpetrators, who are intoxicated or otherwise unaware of their actions, from committing crimes.
The university already has a security system in place not available at a lot of universities. Swipe cards function to keep non-residents from entering the dorms. Of course, this doesn't do much good if the perpetrator is a resident. But then, security cameras wouldn't be much better. People can't discern intent from footage. A stranger could enter a room for the first time for an innocent introduction or a familiar face could enter the same room with despicable intentions. Cameras can't capture the difference. If anything, the former situation would be treated suspiciously and the latter dismissed.
Installing security cameras would not prevent crime. It might help in identifying perpetrators after the fact, but such a benefit would not be worth the time and resources required to maintain the video surveillance system. The best way to prevent crime is to lock your door. While victims are not to blame for the crimes committed against them, people should take a certain amount of personal responsibility for their own safety. Many on-campus crimes could be prevented by simply locking one's door. There is no need for security cameras when small measures would be best effective in protecting personal safety.
