Several campus improvements made since “Rape Free Zone” declaration           

By Rachel Manuel

Junior Shannon Lee says she feels safe living at the dorms as long as she is inside by 9 o'clock. She says for the most part, it is okay but that depends on what day it is. "I know usually, like on Fridays and Saturdays, more people go out drinking and come home drunk and then it just escalates when there's a big football game, volleyball game or a basketball game." As a safety measure, she brings her cell phone everywhere and tries to avoid being out late at night as much as possible. She says, "I worry but I'm constantly online." On nights she works late on campus and has to wait for the campus shuttle to get to the dorms, she will start chatting with friends using her cell phone. "They'll always know to wait with me and chat with me. That way, if something happens and if I don't respond for a while, they'll know, 'Okay, call," says Lee. "I always make sure I make contact with somebody before I leave (work)."

In a "Year of the Student Survey" that was conducted in November 2005 by the University of Hawaii, only 54 percent of the students who responded agreed with the statement, "I feel safe on campus." UH's measures to making the campus safer "are progressing at a snail's pace" and cannot meet recommendations made by Marion Higa, who had done an audit of Student Housing Services at UHM released in February, according to a Star Bulletin editorial published on March 21, 2007.

Director of Communications Gregg Takayama said in response, "I think the Manoa campus is safe. I think it could be safer." Within the past year, changes have been made in the security department and at the dormitories. Lighting projects are on the way. The campus has a lot of features that students outside the community do not have access to, Takayama said. There are about 70 emergency call boxes throughout campus that connect directly to Campus Security and an escort service, which provides transportation or a walking escort to any university facility or parking lot. Security is on call 24/7. "Those are not available to ordinary citizens in other parts of the island," he said.
           
The campus has the largest population of young adults in Hawaii on any given day, with about 25,000 students usually five days a week, said Takayama. "If you look at our crime statistics, I think we stack up very well compared to any other community in Hawaii." In terms of violent crimes, he said, Manoa's statistics are low but the property crimes rate needs improvement.
           
Jayne Bopp, project coordinator for the Program Against Violence to Women, said that she is very pleased with UH’s progress in the past few years. Since the Rape Free Zone coalition’s meetings with McClain in 2005, a system-wide sexual assault policy was passed, mandatory training with executive and managerial staff was implemented at all campuses, and a full-time position to address sexual and relationship violence issues at UHM was created. The survey she had done, "Sexual and Relationship Violence at UHM," was replicated at the nine other UH campuses by the UH Commission on the Status of Women for the office of the president to assess the extent of violence against women.

Campus security additions
Campus security consists of about 44 personnel. Eight more full-time campus security officers were hired in the past year and for the 2008 session, the campus will be asking Legislature for authority to hire 25 more. Bike patrols were added, with usually at least two bike patrol officers on any shift monitoring the campus. The same trainer for Honolulu Police Department officers certified these officers. Tayakama said that having them would allow for more ground coverage and the ability to go through narrow areas that the other security vehicles would not be able to maneuver.
           
There were plans earlier this year to hire two-off duty Honolulu police officers to patrol from dusk to dawn. However, the Honolulu police chief, whose concern was that UH is a state institution while the Honolulu police officers are city employees, vetoed the plans.
           
Currently Manoa Campus Security does not have police power to arrest, which was a recommendation made in the study by Bopp and the audit by Higa. According to Higa, McClain had dropped his plan to propose that UH security officers be given the authority to make arrests and carry firearms after some leaders and educators resisted. Takayama said there has to be more campus-wide acceptance and approval by administration and the Board of Regents before this proposal could go forward.

Improving safety alerts
The campus is looking at other ways to improve the issuing of safety alerts. Currently, alerts could be made through e-mails, public address (PA) systems and HPD vehicles with loudspeakers. Takayama said one process that ITS personnel are working on is notifying people through text-messaging on cell phones. If there is a crisis and power is lost, most people would be unable to access their e-mail but their cell phones might still work. This system will be tested before the end of the year and if successful, could be available next year. Campus facilities is also working on adding PA systems to large buildings that could accommodate them. 

Improved facilities at Manoa campus
According to the audit, the Facilities Management does not keep campus walkways well lit, but UHM's Campus Annual Crime Report for Fall 2007 stated that Campus Security officers constantly look out for overgrown shrubberies and obstructions of lighting and pathways to then report to Facilities Management.
           
About a million dollars worth of lighting improvements will be made on the campus within several months, Takayama said. Just this month, a contract of half a million dollars was awarded to a company to improve and install lighting in areas such as near the science buildings. Early next year, there will be another half a million dollar contract to further improve the lighting in lower campus and to upgrade lighting at upper campus. More energy efficient lighting fixtures will be installed, which could reduce the energy bill.
           
The audit also stated that only recently had action begun to protect students living at the dorms from campus danger and that Student Housing Services lacked the funds to make the necessary security improvements.
           
Right before the Fall 2007 semester's start, a female student reported that she was sexually assaulted and her room burglarized at UHM freshman dorm Hale Aloha Mokihana. After this, housing began a 24-hour check-in at all of the freshman dorms. Takayama said they are doing their best to provide lobby check-in but there are still problems finding students to work all shifts, especially during late hours. Housing also checked through the locks at the freshman residence halls. There have been some problems with the doors, he said, but repairs are taken care of quickly as possible. Residents were reminded to take safety precautions and resident advisers were given refresher courses in crime prevention.
           
According to Takayama, the legislature had approved a $100 million bond to make improvements. About $60 million will be used to build Frear dorm. This dorm, to open in Fall 2008, will house about 800 students. Renovations are planned at the four Hale Aloha towers for Fall 2008. Security cameras for dorm lobbies are also being requested in the budget.

"RAPE FREE ZONE" revisited
Safe Zone Foundation Cofounder and Executive Director Kathryn Xian said that the RFZ coalition’s meetings with McClain stopped after the year was over and "publicity and awareness died down." She said they had tried to contact him but got no response. Currently they are forming a student group that could monitor what the administration is doing on campus and keep tabs on the community, according to her. "They will publicize and bring awareness to help facilitate action on campus," she said, "because the most powerful of pressure is public pressure. Otherwise nobody knows about it." Xian said concerns have not gone away just because the president has declared UH an RFZ. She added that unless officials post something on the UH website, people will forget about the declaration.

Bopp said she thinks such declarations are not really meaningful and that they do not change behavior. "The entire United States is a 'rape free zone', just as all of Hawaii is a 'prostitution free zone' and a 'drug free workplace' because all of these things are already illegal," she said. "As we know, even laws do not work to eradicate unwanted behavior." Bopp was part of the group who worked with the president two years ago on these issues, but was not a member who supported declaring the campus a RFZ.

Underreporting of assault a campus concern
According to the study done by Bopp in Fall 2003, about 10 percent of the female undergraduates who had participated reported that they had experienced a sexual assault. About 11 percent reported that they have experienced partner violence. The survey found that underreporting is a serious issue on campus. Of the 1.9 percent of respondents that reported they had been raped, none had reported it to the police. The study also showed that fewer crimes were reported to have happened on campus than outside.
           
Takayama said that what concerns him is that sexual assault and sexual harassment continue to be an underreported crime. He added that perhaps by increasing the number of counselors and making them more available to students, students would be more likely to report. The campus hopes to add two psychologists to its counseling staff at the Queen Liliuokalani Center. Takayama said that there are not enough counselors, and they are swamped by the number of students they see daily.
           
Keeping the campus safe requires numerous efforts by UH and the campus community as a whole, Bopp said. "Truth of the matter is that campus security and UH administration cannot be responsible every time a student leaves their door unlocked, a student rapes his friend, a student or staff member does not properly follow procedures around letting people into the dorm or for faculty or staff who use their power to abuse others."
           
Takayama said that many security improvements could be made but the other part to keep in mind is the attitude of the students and staff who come from each state and a hundred different countries, bringing with them different attitudes. "A lot of it is education, especially in terms of making this a Rape Free Zone," he said. Recently, the offering of a Bachelor's degree in the Women's Studies Program was approved. Takayama added that this might help in terms of raising people's consciousness about gender's role in crime and society.
           
Xian suggested that a consistent program to address sex assault and violence is needed. She said that with students leaving every four to five years, "You need to constantly teach that lesson of prevention." The only real hope of preventing violence in the first place, Bopp said, are programs that address social justice and social change. Several programs on campus that include these objectives in their mission include Campus Security, the Program Against Violence to Women, the LGBT Student Services office, KOKUA program, Bridge to Hope and the Ombuds Office.
           
"As a campus community, we are all responsible for protecting one another, for not abusing one another, and for not standing by silently when we know our friends or colleagues are harming others," said Bopp.