The committee was set up in December 2002 after a UT-student had become a victim of a stabbing on the Hengelosestraat. In an interview in UT-Nieuws she appeals to the executive board to ensure a safer campus. The University Council (UR) decides to set up a committee to investigate the (un)safety on campus.
'Although the list is not yet complete, it does give a good indication of where it goes wrong', according to Peter Molendijk, member of the CBR board. Together with Dick van Rijn, student member of the UR for the Campus Coalition, he takes part in the committee. 'It is not necessarily the case that a broken street light produces an unsafe situation, but it is possible. And that is the point.'
'Insecurity is often a case of feelings', Dick van Rijn thinks. 'It is therefore difficult to say what is really wrong on campus. 'However, the two students do feel that it is high time that the Facility Department (FB), responsible for the repairs, starts work on repairing on the problems observed.' According to Van Rijn a few of the defects have already been remedied. 'There were a few dangerous holes in the road surface on campus. These have been closed. 'Lack of funds is supposed to be the main cause of the FB' inaction up to now. 'Absurd', the students feel. 'Safety, and not lack of budget, should have the highest priority on campus. This causes dangerous situations.'
The list only concerns the residential areas on campus. The Committee Safety Campus now wants the FB to make an inventory for the rest of the UT-terrain. Van Rijn: 'The bicycle path behind the CTW-building, for example, is very dark. No female student likes to cycle there on her own.'
The UT-student who was a victim of the Enschede stabber said so before: 'Pay attention to each other.' Van Rijn and Molendijk also feel that.
'Students should take responsibility. There should be more social control.'
