Badges required
by Sharron Walls
If you’re not wearing your badge, you might find yourself off the grounds.
Not at Augusta National – at MCG.
“We’ve been having a little bit of a problem in some of our buildings with petty thefts,” said Bill McBride, MCG chief of police. “In investigating these incidents, generally speaking, we find that we don’t have students stealing from students, or employees stealing from each other, it’s people who don’t have any business being here. We’ve also discovered that a lot of people have fallen into the habit of not wearing their MCG IDs.”
Institution policy requires official MCG identification badges to be worn by staff, students and faculty at all times while on campus grounds. During November, MCG public safety officers will be doing badge checks in an effort to increase compliance and cut down on unauthorized people in the buildings. Expect badge checks at building entrances in the mornings and randomly throughout the day inside the buildings, especially in the research corridor. Badge-less employees and students will have to leave campus and won’t be allowed back until they’re properly credentialed.
Other security options under consideration include locked buildings with safety officers stationed at the main doors.
“Thieves get up every day with the idea that they’re going to steal something,” said Chief McBride. “That’s their job, their chosen profession. What we do is try to inhibit their ability to steal from us.”