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Simple things lead to a safer Winona State campus

10/23/2009 10:05:10 PM

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By John Weiss
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

WINONA -- The two young women walking through the Winona State University campus didn't know it, but some simple things like how trees were trimmed and placement of bushes were making them safer.

Trees are trimmed high so no one can hide beneath them, said Don Walski, head of security. And there are no bushes near windows, offering even fewer places for stalkers to hide or peer into the building.

They are some of the changes the university has made that helped it be named in the 11th safest university in the country by the online magazine "The Daily Beast." A survey of WSU students recently found 94 percent felt safe and 2 percent didn't feel safe but they hadn't been injured, he said.

WSU's campus also has 10 code-blue stands allowing passersby to press a button to get security and 100 security cameras, he said. Even good signs helps direct people to the right place and subtle ways, such as berms, to keep people on sidewalks, helps, he said. For students who want more, the university offers basic self-defense classes.

It's far from alone, said Don Walski, a former Winona Police Department deputy chief who retired in 2003 and became head of security the next day. In the 2004-05 school year, 93 percent of public campuses with 2,500 or more students had sworn officers while 42 percent of private campuses had them, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

WSU has three full-time officers, including Walski, and 65 trained students. None carry firearms.

Students trained as security guards are taught to find ways to de-escalate tensions, patrol tactics, self-defense, how to do preliminary investigations and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, he said.

If they need extra help, they can call on Winona or Winona County law-enforcement officers, who are armed.

One big reason for WSU's safety is that it's in a relatively safe community, he said.

Also, it's a dry campus so it's easier to control alcohol use that is one of the biggest problems, he said. In the mid-1990s, "we really began attacking the alcohol problem," he said.

Students caught with alcohol in a dorm get one warning and the second one means they are out of student housing. With drugs, one time and you're out, he said. Even if students are caught drinking off-campus, WSU hears about it and the students get counseling or warnings, he said. Last year, between 325 and 425 student were disciplined for alcohol use, he said.

The basic goal, however, is to make students feel like they have ownership of the campus so they want to keep it safe, he said. They are good students, they study a lot and they tend to be respectful, Walski said.

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