Pitt must get serious about safety

In order to maintain an effective learning environment, the University must first… In order to maintain an effective learning environment, the University must first maintain a safe learning environment. While Pitt has been largely successful in controlling crime in the last few years, its record was tarnished on Sunday night near Chevron Hall.

Two women were sexually assaulted at gunpoint while walking up a staircase adjacent to University Drive, and the attack was facilitated by several burned out streetlights. The tragedy of the situation is heightened by the fact that it could have been prevented.

The incident on Sunday night is not the first or last instance of sexual assault in the area. A woman was raped at Carnegie Mellon University in August, and another woman reported being assaulted early Tuesday morning in Highland Park. These attacks are a serious issue, and the University must never be caught off guard again.

Pitt sits on a large campus, and it is difficult to ensure that everything is running smoothly at all times, but that is the University’s responsibility. Small details – such as light bulbs – play important rolls in students’ safety. Lights have a shelf life and they burn out frequently. That’s why Pitt police and other University officials must be vigilant to make sure students are never caught in the dark.

Jim Fischerkeller, a library staff member at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, said he has been trying for more than a month to get the University to fix several broken lights in the area where the attacks occurred on Sunday night. Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs Robert Hill claims the University had no prior knowledge of the broken lights. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t take any heat off Pitt. A dangerous situation existed and the University didn’t take care of it. If they didn’t know about it, they should have. Ignorance is no excuse.

When an incident like this occurs, the police are quick to shift the spotlight to students. They urge them to travel in groups or take advantage of Van Call. The Pitt police crime alert that was issued on Monday neglects to mention walking in groups because the victims in this instance were already walking together. It doesn’t matter what precautions students choose to take if the University will not protect them with basic defenses. A few new light bulbs now and then are not too much to ask.