By Dan Conners
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Camden County College Campus Security recently began issuing tickets to students on the Blackwood campus for their car windows being left ajar. Some students saw this as unfair and unjust.
A window ajar can bring a ticket on the windshield at Camden County College. By Dan Conners, CCC Journalism Program
Harlan Hoffman, a first-year student at Camden County College, says “I think it’s kind of crazy that they can just fine us for having our windows down. I mean, isn’t it our right to put our windows down if we want to?”
Understandably some students are upset with the new policy. It is a well-known fact that money is tight for all college students, let alone those who have to commute. However, some of these students do not have the full story.
Camden County College Campus Security had received several complaints from students who had parked on campus, left their windows ajar and as a result had items stolen from their cars. Ed Carney, executive director for safety and facilities, explains, “The purpose of the tickets were to warn the students. We felt the need to be proactive and to get control of the issue as quickly as possible. No student was fined the standard $50 fee. All of the tickets were simply a warning to make the students aware that all vehicles should be locked at all times and all valuables should be out of sight.”
As for that explanation, Kristy Cannon, a student in her second year at Camden County College, had this to say, “Well I understand that they’re just trying to protect us, and I respect that, but it would have been nice to know that they were going to do this before they began issuing tickets.”
Another student, Emily Coates, said, “I never leave my windows down no matter what. Quite frankly I think it’s foolish and naïve. Yes this campus is safe but you can never be too safe. I always lock my car and my windows are always up when I leave my car for class, so really this rule doesn’t apply to me.”