Security Provides Update on ID Enforcement

Wright College will begin checking student IDs to comply with an existing requirement at all seven City Colleges that students must wear their IDs. According to Wright’s Director of Security Gissela Limon, by mid-October security will be checking student IDs at all four entrances.

 Limon plans to prepare Wright’s security team through customer service training. “They need to know how to interact with people here,” Limon said. “I don’t want the students to feel like we’re here to hassle, I want us to have a good partnership because we’re there for them.” Limon said she has to find enough staff to check IDs at the entrances and she hopes to fill that need through students by offering a work study opportunity.

“That’s who I would want to have at the entrances,” Limon said.  “We really could use three or four people that could come here and just greet the students and to say do you have your ID? It comes out differently when it comes from your peer.”

                                                                                                                                                 Limon said, “I would like for the students to all be on board because it is for all of our safety.” Limon said that due to active shooter situations and school violence across the country, it is important for security to know who is in the building. 

  “Based on my experience, I just feel this is gonna be a lot better for us,” Limon said.  “We have to manage safety some way because we don’t have turnstiles, because we want to keep it open to everyone, so in order to do that and keep our budget down in security we have to use other resources and tools that we have in our hands.”  

 Fine arts major Olivia Benson said, “Generally I think it’s better to have safety regulations at colleges like this, definitely there’ll be some times where people walked in that don’t look like they belong here, but also it’s kind of an inconvenience sometimes, if there’s an easier way that would be great.”

First year student Adrian Zara said the requirement does not seem to be enforced. “I think it’s kind of pointless,” Zara said. “A lot of people don’t care and the security guards don’t seem to care.”

 Efforts to communicate the ID requirement have included Limon’s team attending new student orientations and posting signs outside of campus entrances. If a student forgot their ID, they will have to check in at the campus center so security can ensure they are a student, while guests will be required to sign a visitors log. The ID office in A129 is open Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. A student must bring a valid photo ID and their class schedule to obtain their school ID, which according to Limon will remain free the rest of the semester. 

  President Andres Oroz said, “We want to make sure that the people who are on the campus, we can support those individuals.”