Soaring through the Aero turnstiles
Computer parts were stolen from the Department of Aeronautics late last week, throwing doubt upon the efficacy of College’s newly installed security measures.
The components of a computer in an Aero lecture theatre were probably taken on Thursday afternoon. The computer was part of the lecture theatre control suite and was encased in a secure cabinet, to which the thief managed to gain access. Reports are conflicting over precisely when the incident occurred, and what parts were stolen, with the Aeronautics Department stating that the CPU and memory were missing, whereas the College Head of Security is quoted as saying that only the hard drive was taken.
The incident is the latest in a string of, allegedly linked, thefts from all over campus during the summer closure period. After working with police, the College Security department say that a suspect has been charged over the Aero incident, and that they are “very confident” that they will also be linked to the other thefts over the summer.
These incidents come after College has spent most of the summer installing new security systems in the many entrances around campus, replacing the old system of manning the doors with staff that College Security claims were: “receptionists, not security officers,” even though many of the desks were emblazoned with the title “Security Reception” above them. Replacement “Reception” signs are due to be fitted in the coming weeks.
The new system of RFID, Swipe accessible doors and turnstiles have caused controversy across the College, with many students and staff believing that money is being wasted on ineffective and pointless systems, preferring the old system based around departmental “porters.”
To investigate these claims, Felix carried out an experiment into accessing the Aeronautics Department from the entrance on Prince Consort Road, which requires the defeat of several security systems: the external doors, the internal turnstile/gate, and the security camera that monitors both of these.
Our reporter and photographer encountered no difficulty in “tailgating” a legitimate student through the first set of automatic doors, and then again through the internal gate, which is designed for wheelchair use although most students seem to use is instead of the turnstiles to the side. According to previously quoted security sources, an alarm is supposed to alert the Security Office in Sherfield when more than one person walks through this gate.
Unsatisfied by this challenge, our reporter then attempted to breach the turnstiles and gate in a number of ways, in direct view of the CCTV camera, until confronted by the inevitable response from Security (see front page montage). After waiting for 10 minutes without being accosted, our reporter proceeded to climb two floors up to a lecture theatre adjacent to the room that was the recent victim of theft, and return to the ground floor with a prop to alert the CCTV camera that he was definitely up to no good. After borrowing a laptop from a willing student (to avoid actually being prosecuted for stealing equipment that was actually College Property, although there was much equipment ripe for such theft, such as plasma screens and a set of room keys left lying on a trolley), he then returned to the entrance and, straddling the gate, held his ‘ill-gotten’ laptop aloft.
It was at this point that he noticed that the external doors had not closed after the last student swiped, and had been stuck open for over half an hour. Escape from the scene of the crime was assured.
In perfect timing, at this point a delivery-person walked through the open entrance, and after examining the now-empty “reception desk,” asked our reporter for directions to an address in Huxley: completely unaware that he had inadvertently broken through the first line of security.
An hour after first breaking in to Aero entrance, and after 45 minutes of the external security door being apparently stuck open, our investigative team tired of waiting and returned, without hinderance, to the Felix offices. The only Aeronautics student that was even slightly curious about our activities simply commented on the security systems, saying: “They’re crap. I haven’t had my swipe card for weeks and I have no trouble getting in.”
After being contacted by Felix for comment on this story, Ceri Davies, the Head of Security in College stated that the new security measures were meant as a “deterrent.”
“They’re not designed to be Fort Knox or a ‘Ring of Steel’,” he said. “It’s about trying to get the balance right between security and freedom of access. No alarm is supposed to sound when the turnstiles are hopped-over [although he was quoted by Live! (live.cgcu.net) in August 2006 as saying that there is – Editor], criminals aren’t going to jump over, they try to blend in.”
Whether secure or not, the leading opinion, amongst both students and staff, appears to be against the new measures. Many feel that replacing the old, multi-functional, “receptionists” with expensive steel deterrents is a waste of money, and find the new systems “annoying,” and a waste of time for staff, causing headaches for deliveries and visitors.
