Victoria Silman | Assistant News Editor
Featured Image: Despite instances of assault around campus, security bulletins have been scarce. | Fatema Ali
Students may be wondering why security bulletins have ceased to grace their email inboxes for several months. Despite serious incidents occurring around campus, it appears York Security has failed to update their bulletins website or inform the public of such important—and potentially dangerous issues.
The bulletins are intended to provide students with information regarding serious incidents which York Security believe to be at risk of recurrence—theft and robberies included. Furthermore, bulletins will be issued if the announcement can assist in bringing forth witnesses.
According to the York Security Services website, the last bulletin updated for students that concerned injury or serious incidents was that of an arrest of a suspect who committed a sexual assault aboard a VIVA bus on March 29, 2017. The update of the arrest occurred on March 31, 2017.
Since January, only two notices were posted to the York Security Bulletin website, one pertaining to a weather watch and the other pertaining to university operations.
Students have begun to notice the discrepancies between incidents and frequency of reports. Farhiha Tasnim, a fourth-year psychology student, says she has not received a bulletin in at least a year. “I saw one last year, but I feel like I got more of them when I was in first year.”
What appears to be a record year of safety at York, is in fact, not true. According to news reports, at least two other incidents have occurred since January, neither of which have been updated on the bulletin website.
On January 25, two men fell victim to a machete-wielding assailant in the Village near York at Murray Ross Parkway and Sentinel Road, an area where many students frequent. Both victims were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and were later released. The suspect was reported to have fled. Despite the severity of the attack on York grounds, a security bulletin was not posted to inform the York community about the attack.
Furthermore, on March 18, a woman was sexually assaulted near York at a bus shelter in the same area as the previous incident. A suspect description was released through news articles, however the security bulletin website was never updated, nor was an email sent to notify York students.
Despite the incidents, students have yet to receive bulletins to inform them, including Sabina Barlozewska, a fifth-year fine arts student. “To be honest, I haven’t seen any in a while. They used to send emails all the time, but they don’t send them anymore.”
York Security could not be reached for comment.
