‘We have no fencing’ - CASE president admits after rape report sparks protest

President of the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), Dr Derrick Deslandes, says the institution’s lack of perimeter fencing and ongoing electrical power issues have left the Portland-based campus vulnerable to criminal activity.

Deslandes’ comments come against the background of protest by students on Tuesday at both the East and West campuses, following the alleged rape of a female student on the property on Sunday.

“The vulnerability of CASE has been exposed. We have no fencing, and this is something I have spoken about for years,” Deslandes said.

“I have raised the need for support to erect perimeter fencing, but that support has not materialised. There is a tunnel where persons can enter from either side, come underneath the train tracks, and emerge anywhere on the campus. In that sense, CASE has no real security. It is a wide-open campus,” he explained.

According to Deslandes, one of the long-standing challenges facing the institution has been its inability to sustain professional security services due to financial constraints.

“We previously had a security company. The last one was Marksman. In one year, the cost went from $23 million to $56 million, which is beyond our capabilities,” he said.

In response, Deslandes said the institution has hired 12 contract personnel at its own expense to fill the gap but acknowledged that the current arrangement remains inadequate.

“We still believe there is a need for at least eight to 10 additional personnel,” he added.

He further disclosed that CASE does not currently employ trained or experienced security guards. Instead, the institution relies on watchmen and gatemen, who are not even equipped with basic defensive tools.

Meanwhile, fourth-year animal science student Jordon Stephenson said that security measures implemented at CASE over the years have proven ineffective and insufficient.

Stephenson alleged that incidents of rape have not been adequately addressed and warned that the ongoing security failures are having a serious psychological impact on the student population.

-Gareth Davis Snr

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