The Observer, February 15, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 17
Veale cracks down on dishonest ID card use
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Case students can no longer sneak friends, acquaintances, or that guy off the street into the Veale Center with an old ID card. This semester, a new card reader was placed at the front desk of the building to force students to use their own, active Case IDs.
Although there is already a card reader at the front entrance of Veale, it was deemed not sufficient in preventing unauthorized users from entering the building. Once a registered student swipes a card, the door remains open for 30 seconds. During this time, anyone else is able to tailgate into, or illegally enter, the facility.
There has been a security officer or Veale employee who sits at the front desk to check everyone's Case cards. They, however, did not have the ability to verify which cards are active or not. The only way to decide whether a person could enter the facility was to compare the student's face to the picture on the card.
These cards do not always belong to active students of the university. Although the cards are supposed to be collected upon graduation, Protective Services is unable to obtain them from all students. Many times, the cards are retained souvenirs representing one's experience at Case. The lack of any expiration date or authorized use period on the card allowed tailgaters to pass the security officer without much difficulty.
Protective Services felt the need to enhance their security in order to prevent such repeated unauthorized use. In addition to presenting a valid Case identification card to the security officer present, each person entering the facility must now swipe his or her card in front of the security officer to prove that the card is active. Students are less able to pass back identification cards as well, because the security officer will easily spot the repeated use. The card reader system, however, is not able to detect a second swipe of the card.
The lack of an enhanced security device presents a major problem, according to Mike Goliat, director of Facility Security Services. The chief concern for the implementation of a new security device is to prevent unauthorized users. The unauthorized users take up many of Veale's valuable resources. Although the center is large, there are limited basketball and racquetball courts and only a handful of exercise machines. Unauthorized users take away the opportunity for active students to use Veale's resources without having to wait for those who are present under false pretenses.
Goliat mentioned that since Jan. 14, three to four people have been turned away from Veale for attempting to enter the facility without valid ID each day. The total has reached several dozen people already in only one month. "People have complied. They know they were dishonestly using the facilities," he said.
Once rejected, the unauthorized users are presented with a few different options. First, they may purchase a day pass for $5. The second option is to purchase a membership for roughly $300 that is valid for one year. One-to-One Fitness Center, located directly across from Veale, is another viable option that many prohibited users have chosen. However, though One-to-One Fitness Center is a leading gym, it lacks recreational activities such as basketball and racquetball.
If an active student forgets their card, as a courtesy, the security officer will call the dispatcher to confirm their registration. Often times, the security officer is able to recognize faces of frequent visitors to the gym. On the occasion an unfamiliar face walks by, however, the security officer will make the call. This is a courtesy and will not be done on a frequent basis. Goliat stated this is intended to watch out for the student's safety and health. If hurt or passed out, lack of identification presents a problem for officials to help properly take care of the student. A valid identification card helps to obtain emergency contact information.
The Veale Center is home of the Case Western Reserve University athletics, physical education, and intramural programs. Veale Center is a 60,000 square foot building that opened in the fall of 1997. The center is named after alumnus Tinkham Veale II, who graduated from the Case Institute of Technology in 1937.
At the time of the Center's opening, students became accustomed to using a turnstile security device. Active students eligible to use the center would swipe their card and the gate would allow entry by turning. An unauthorized attempt would restrict passage by refusing to turn. After minor renovations began at Veale several years ago.
