Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

I am writing to commend you on the thoughtful editorial that appeared on Monday (“Keep your eyes peeled,” Feb. 6). I appreciate that you have recognized the challenges that Public Safety faces daily in maintaining the safety of an open campus without becoming unduly overbearing. We work very hard to achieve that balance in order to help maintain the safe yet vibrant atmosphere that makes the Columbia campus so special. Thank you for understanding and appreciating the difficulty of our task. I also appreciate your observation that the safety of our campus is a responsibility which we all share. In fact, you have echoed a key element of our mission statement that is published on the Public Safety homepage. In particular, it states, “The success of this mission depends upon an effective working relationship between Public Safety personnel, and the diverse elements of the Columbia community, including students, staff, faculty, and visitors.”

We will continue our efforts to build this relationship, and will continue to encourage our campus partners to collaborate with us in order to make our campus the safest that it can be. Thank you for supporting us in this endeavor.

James F. McShane
Vice President for Public Safety
Columbia University