OBU Police enacts new ID initiative

By Chelsea Weeks, News Editor   (Photo: Jonathan Soder/The Bison)

With the beginning of every semester, there are changes. Whether it’s a change of a class schedule or financial aid package, almost everyone has something new to get used to.

This semester, the Oklahoma Baptist University community is getting used to a new security feature: Identification Cards.

The University Police Department initiated a new policy where every employee, faculty and staff member must be visibly wearing an ID.

The purpose of these new IDs is to enhance the security of the students and employees.

“OBU has implemented many safety and security methods and continues to implement new ways to keep students, employees and visitors safe while on campus,” associate vice president for marketing and communications, Paula Gower said.

“The ID card initiative is just one of many security initiatives implemented such as more external lighting across campus, increased building security, additional security video coverage throughout campus, increased police surveillance on campus, among others,” she said.

These new IDs will help provide guests the ability to easily recognize any employee, and the Police Department the ability to recognize anyone who doesn’t belong.

“Our main responsibility here is to keep everyone safe,” chief of university police, David Shannon said.

“We want to make sure anybody on campus belongs on campus.”

In addition to the security aspect, these new IDs have many other benefits that will make life on Bison Hill more convenient.

“The new cards are proximity cards, so you don’t have to swipe them but just hold them close to the devise,” Gower said.

“This gives you a faster/easier way to use your card to unlock doors, check in at chapel to get credit, retrieve print jobs on the new printers, etc.”

A date has not been set yet when students can exchange their cards; however, when the time comes, there will be no cost to exchange the current IDs to the new one.

The cost to replace a lost ID will stay the same at ten dollars.

“I think it’s a good thing; I think the new IDs are going to be beneficial and help with security and make things more convenient,” dean of students and associate vice president for student development, Odus Compton said.

“Since we have the ability for people to drive through campus or walk through campus, it just allows for there to be an added security and it helps us serve guests on campus better.”