Earlier this month, cameras were installed in Moore Hall in response to repeated vandalism in the dorm.
“Since this was a brand new residence hall, vandalism that occurred was significantly more visible, such as exit signs and light fixtures knocked down from ceilings, urinals torn from the walls and smashed in the bathroom, furnishings damaged or broken, bulletin boards torn from the wall, personal door decor burned and scorching the doors, holes punched and kicked in walls, room signs torn from walls and stolen, window blinds bent, and rooms and common spaces trashed,” Associate Dean & Director of Residence Life Andrew Pollom said.
The vandalism in the dorm is not bound to the current academic year, however. On December 6, 2013, President Schutt sent out a student announcement about the vandalism in Moore Hall. In the announcement, he addressed his concerns about whether or not the building “was a mistake” to renovate due to the outstanding damages caused by students since the dorm reopened.
The announcement, although over a year old, includes a similar list of violations as Dean Pollom’s: “In the four months Moore Hall has been open, one or more of you have punched or kicked large holes in four different walls, ripped kitchen cabinet doors off their hinges, torn apart a coffee table, pulled down multiple exit and elevator signs, and stolen 10 or more room number signs,” Schutt wrote. “You have also trashed stairwells and common areas with bottles, cans and other debris. The total cost — which all Moore Hall students will be required to pay, pro rata—will be thousands of dollars.”
Occurrences of vandalism do not appear to have reduced since 2013. Dean Pollom explains that administrators “made numerous attempts to work with students to implement other approaches to ending the needless vandalism.” The camera installation, then, was one of several options put forth to stop the violations.
“In addition to improving the living experience and reducing the vandalism, we also value the addition of the cameras for increased security within the community,” he said. The costs accumulated for this academic year have yet to be totaled, however the damages in 2013 were at least a couple thousand dollars, according to President Schutt’s announcement.
Dean Pollom adds that “money is not the only measure of damage. Individual or institutional reputation, image, and confidence and others can also suffer damage.” He notes that cameras will not only help to reduce vandalism, but also increase security. Moreover, the installation may help reduce the number of thefts, providing a safer space for students.
Students may contact Dean Pollom about the camera installation and vandalism at Pollom@ lakeforest.edu or go to his office hours on Mondays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. or Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Students may also contact President Schutt, Dean Flot, or Public Safety with concerns and questions.
