Students at the University of St. Thomas received an email from residence life urging them to avoid tailgating and piggybacking, resulting in unauthorized individuals entering secure buildings.
Tailgating occurs when an unauthorized person slips through a secure entry point immediately after an authorized individual, often without detection. On the other hand, piggybacking occurs when the malicious actor tricks the authorized individual into letting them into a secure area, according to Alliant Specialty.
The email, sent by Residence Life, outlined recent security concerns stemming from a tailgating incident around the campus of St. Thomas.
“Unfortunately, college campuses can be attractive targets for crime, especially given the prevalence of valuable items like smartphones, laptops, bicycles, etc. By preventing unauthorized individuals from entering dormitories, we can better protect ourselves and our fellow residents,” the email wrote.
The email also gave four tips on how students, staff and faculty can help prevent tailgating or piggybacking.
These tips include staying aware of your surroundings, being cautious of social engineering, recognizing common tactics and assisting those in need.
Aaron Fimon, the St. Thomas public safety manager for the St. Paul campus and manager of clery compliance, said that the email was sent out due to a pattern of similar occurrences.
“Usually, when we send out a notification like that, it’s not because it’s a one-incident thing,” Simon said. “We wait until there’s a pattern that we feel the students, staff, and faculty should know.”
In one incident this October, before the email sent out on Oct. 22, a non-student was given access to Dowling Hall by students responding to a request for help.
By the time public safety arrived, the person had already left, Fimon said.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t called until thirty minutes after this happened, after the person left, so we didn’t even talk to that person; that person had left on their own. Fimon said the person had already been brought to the St. Paul Police Department’s attention and had caused trouble before.
“It’s not the first time that we have dealt with that person before,” Fimon said. “Because that person does kind of get very inappropriate with their language and how that person talks to people and things like that.”
Public Safety informed the St. Paul Police Department, filed a report and reassured that there was no continued threat from the person in question, Fimon said.
Another incident happened on Oct. 29 when a person, unaffiliated with St. Thomas, entered Schoenecker North Hall after hours, after closely following a student, asking them to get a ride somewhere off-campus, Fimon said.
An officer was already in the building on patrol and happened to be walking by as this occurred. Fimon said the perpetrator was escorted off campus and left without an issue.
First-year Kira Azefor, who lives on campus, said she agrees with the safety measures of preventing tailgating and piggybacking.
“It’s something that everybody has done, even I have done it,” said Kira Azefor, “Even though it’s basic human decency to hold or open the door for someone, we can’t be a hundred percent sure that they go to this university and that they have good intentions, so even though it’s something silly to not hold the door for someone, you just gotta do it to be safe.”
Some students said they felt that the alert could have come sooner.
“It’s something important that we should’ve known before the school year even started,” first-year Ethan Asante said. “The information they provided was good but the timing to provide it was incorrect.”
With the email sent in October, Fimon said he hopes to reinforce a strong sense of security across campus.
“When we send out messages like this, it’s really about transparency and student safety. We genuinely care about this community,” Fimon said. This is your home, and we want you to feel comfortable and secure here.”
Public safety officers at St. Thomas view their work as more than just a job and hope students see that, Fimon said.
“On holidays, when most students are with family, our officers are here on campus, FaceTiming their kids and opening presents from afar,” Fimon said. “They could call in sick, but they don’t because they truly care about keeping students safe. I wish the community could see that dedication, they’re here, patrolling and checking on everyone, even when it’s tough.”
Natulia Momo can be contacted at momo4842@stthomas.edu.