New sensors were installed at Walsh Gate earlier this month, placed at the top of each of the two turnstile entrances outside of Walsh Hall. The sensors will alert Public Safety about incidents of “piggybacking,” where students enter the turnstiles in pairs to get onto campus without individually swiping their IDs.
The new security addition follows an incident in November where a man entered campus through Walsh Gate and entered a Walsh Hall residence suite. On Nov. 3, an “emotionally disturbed” man entered the Rose Hill campus by “piggybacking” through the Walsh Gate turnstile with a Fordham student. The man entered Walsh Hall and entered a suite where he sprayed residents with a fire extinguisher before being apprehended by Public Safety and the New York Police Department.
“The new sensors installed at the top of the Walsh Gate turnstiles address a vulnerability in the turnstiles: that it was possible for an unauthorized person to enter a turnstile behind a Fordham ID user (tailgating) to access campus,” said Robert Fitzer, associate vice president for Public Safety.
Walsh Gate was turned into a 24-hour turnstile gate in 2015, following complaints from Walsh Hall residents who argued that having the gate available for 24/7 use would be more beneficial. However, the gate is notoriously used by students to “piggyback” visitors onto campus without having to sign them in at the guard booths.
Walsh Hall, a 13-story residence hall for upper-classmen, primarily juniors and seniors, houses approximately 492 residents in suite-style apartments, according to Fordham’s website.
“The Walsh turnstiles have been upgraded with advanced software and laser sensors to prevent tailgating,” said Fitzer. “Public Safety had previously addressed the issue with more frequent vehicle patrols at the location, on-campus video cameras and occasional foot patrols or a guard stationed at the gate temporarily.”
The new sensors will notify Public Safety whenever two people enter Walsh Gate together. “Public Safety will be alerted in real-time, and we will dispatch someone to the gate immediately,” said Fitzer. The gate is designed with an “anti-passback feature” that allows a Fordham ID one scan through the gate every 15 minutes. “Public Safety will continue to use vehicle patrols and video cameras to monitor the gate,” Fitzer said.
Fitzer reminds students that, even with the new technology, members of the campus community must be diligent and aware of their surroundings, only scanning themselves onto campus through Walsh Gate. If students see suspicious activity, they should proceed to a guarded entrance and notify Public Safety at (718) 817-2222.
