MIT Toughens Security Measures on Campus

Two months after a MIT student was fatally stabbed, officials at the Cambridge school have instituted new measures to improve security, officials said yesterday.

Although MIT's crime rate has remained about the same as in past years, crimes on the periphery of the campus have increased this year, Campus police chief Anne P. Glavin said.

Glavin said the MIT administration "made a decision that certain things had to be looked at."

Negotiations are underway with the Metropolitan District Council to add lighting to the sidewalks of Memorial Drive. The lighting there now "leaves something to be desired" and increased lighting along the sidewalks "should have the effect of deterring crime," Glavin said.

Officials also said they planned to double the frequency of rides by the campus escort service by December. Additional vehicles for Safe Ride have already been ordered, according to William R. Dickson, an MIT senior vice president.

The campus police will also install several new emergency telephones around the perimeter of the campus.

Glavin said campus police are also planning lectures in each dormitory on how students can be streetwise and safe.

But Glavin said the recent changes can only provide safety with the help of "the MIT community--it's a 50-50 proposition."

Many of the measures are being coordinated with the Cambridge Police, Dickson said.