Security changes justified at WSU, East High

Credit USD 259’s East High School and Wichita State University with responding to crimes on their campuses by making substantive security changes. The costs and inconvenience of doing so aren’t insignificant, but should pay off in students’ safety and parents’ peace of mind.

▪  After a man was able to enter East High last week and sexually batter a student in a girls’ restroom, district officials wisely acted to lock all exterior doors but one during the school day. That’s an extraordinary step for a facility with more than 30 doors. Some changes in offices and designated parking will be required, as will the patience of students, teachers and parents used to easier access.

▪  In the wake of an Aug. 8 murder outside a dorm and two more recent robberies, one at gunpoint, WSU’s leaders are smart to expedite the hiring of four more officers for the campus police force of 28. Arrests have been made in the murder, which authorities say was not a random act. But more nighttime patrols and vigilance are warranted, along with the recent efforts to address students’ concerns and let them know that officers are available to escort them to their cars or dorms.

It was troubling to learn the seriousness of the East High crime a day after a telephone message to families said it involved a stranger approaching a student. WSU student leaders also have questioned the timeliness of the university’s safety warnings.

When crimes occur in educational settings, officials need to be as swift and transparent as possible in communicating with those affected. But the steps being taken so far to secure East High and WSU are justified and welcome.

For the editorial board, Rhonda Holman

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Security changes justified at WSU, East High."