November 25, 2019
After Rutgers University students reported several repeated break-in and sexual assaults by only one attacker, Rutgers University Police announced more patrols. However, according to the New York Post, only one police car was seen stationed outside of the freshmen dorm where the most break-ins occurred and no discussions to allow students to effectively protect themselves with a weapon were considered.
Students have reported feeling “fear for their safety on campus, [they] carry pepper spray and constantly lock their doors,” and have criticized the University for not taking proactive steps to student safety. Rutgers takes precautionary measures to limit crime, like installing cameras across campus and releasing a list of safety tips and resources, but these responses to campus crime are reactionary and do not guarantee protection to students.
But some Rutgers students, particularly young women, took action into their own hands. Partnering with the Center for Conservative Women, an organization for conservative women on college campuses, students involved in the Students for Liberty chapter at Rutgers teamed up to host Second Amendment activist Antonia Okafor. Antonia addressed the right to self-defense and campus carry, and Rutgers administration’s reactionary, not proactive, attempts to make campus a safe environment.
The campus lecture was Wednesday, November 20 from 7:30pm-9:00pm in the Livingston Student Center and Hall, Room 1170 at Rutgers University (84 Joyce Kilmer Ave Piscataway, NJ 08854).
