PASSLEY GARDENS, Portland — Under fire from protesting students who blame inadequate security at the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education (CASE) for Sunday’s rape of a female schoolmate, CASE President Dr Derrick Deslandes on Tuesday conceded that they are all at risk.

He cited a tunnel that runs under the campus, lack of fencing, and the need for financial support to cover the millions it would cost to secure the campus among the challenges being faced.

“We just met with the student council president and members and shared our sincere concerns and distress on these events,” he told the Jamaica Observer during a visit to the campus.

“CASE has a long tunnel that runs under the college that anybody can access. We have been trying for years to close that tunnel. We ourselves have put locks on it and sometimes use the tunnel for transporting tractors and animals, so the tunnel is useful for us as well, so we just have to lock it up. Persons can come through from either side; come underneath and pop up on the campus anywhere. In that sense CASE has no security, it is a wide open campus,” he added.

According to the school administrator, he has long complained about the lack of a perimeter fence, and efforts to get financial support to install one have been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, he said, they are saddled with huge security bills.

“We have struggled with providing security services. One year the security bill went from $24 million to $56 million. We have hired 12 security [guards] on contract but we still feel there is a need for eight to 10 more persons. There are many areas on the campus that need to be secured and it is a very difficult situation. We have to fix the problem and hope we get the support that we need,” Deslandes said.

The short-term plan, he said, is to hire five more guards and add a mobile patrol. But the cost makes that unsustainable.

“It will cost $40,000 per day; that is $1.2 million per month, which will be almost $15 million per year. There is a need for that type of support. We have done what we can and redeploy for some of the other areas on the campus to provide greater coverage. We have also provide an on-call shuttle service on the campus. The campus is massive and very difficult to secure, and there is a lot of asset to be protected — and the assets of the Government, including staff and students,” Deslandes shared.

The college now has 27 security guards, gatemen, and watchmen. The CASE president said the plan is to hire a new security manager.

“Security is a risk, all of us at risk, we are in serious danger. We have a campus of nearly 300 employees and 600 students — residential students. That is what is playing out, and we have to figure it out. The students have asked us for a proposal and we are working it out. It’s a long-standing challenge even before incidents started to take place. Our security technology plan is a work in progress which was disrupted by a fire on the line that needs to be repaired. We are seeking support, and we get sometimes from past students and others,” Deslandes said.

It remains to be seen if those measures will mollify students who vociferously expressed their concerns Tuesday.

Fourth-year animal science student Nakelia Jackson was among the protesters.

“This is not the first rape here since I’ve been a part of this institution. This is the second. Things were implemented for the first rape, but for how long? We had a month of security but after that the campus was a free-for-all as anybody could come on campus without authorisation. We see persons on the campus who have no business here. They say cameras are here, but we see none. The cameras are at the goat unit and the farm. The animals are getting more security than us,” Jackson told the Observer.

She complained that there is no light on roads leading to the campus, and expressed frustration that students learnt of Sunday’s rape through a media report.

“The college is yet to address the situation; it’s just frustrating as we are in an environment where we are afraid — even in my own dorm room. Anybody can come in at any time. There is a security post by the dorm and it is empty. The incident happened on the East Campus less than 100 metres from the guardhouse,” said Jackson.

Her classmate, Jordon Stevenson, was equally livid.

“This is not the first time I hear a situation like this has happened…What is in place is not working. The area is heavily vegetated and the fence line is poor. There are many breaches on the property. The administration knows about this,” he said.

Sunday evening’s attack is said to have occurred after the student got out of a taxi and went through the security post. She was on her way to the dormitory when she was held by a man who was armed with a knife. He reportedly threatened her, then took her to a poorly lit bushy area of the main thoroughfare where he raped her.

College of Agriculture, Science, and Education students stage a protest march through the slip road from the west campus to the east campus where a student was raped. (Photos: Everard Owen)

College of Agriculture, Science, and Education student Nakelia Jackson accuses the institution of valuing the life of the animals more than the students.