One day after gunshots were reported at Morgan View apartments, the university released a statement announcing additional security procedures, including the possibility of metal detectors.

Following the alleged shooting, 24-hour security personnel were added to each building at Morgan View, security stationed at the rear gate and a Morgan State University Police officer stationed at the property during the daytime and nighttime.

Morgan State is still exploring the possibility of adding metal detectors, but nothing has been decided at this time.

“We have not made any decision here at Morgan at all that we are going to install detectors on the campus beyond our big athletic events but we’re still exploring that and we’re looking across the country at other institutions, particularly urban based institutions to see what they are doing in this space,” said David Wilson, university president. “We can’t pretend that America is a safer nation, unfortunately, that it was, perhaps, 15, 20 years ago. That’s not the case but as a university, we have to constantly look at what we can do to enhance the safety of our community and that is simply what we are doing in exploring aspect of public safety.”

With any big decision and major change like adding metal detectors in dorms, you must properly weigh the pros and cons. The addition of metal detectors could disturb the flow of student’s lives on campus but also offer another level of safety.

Before making any decision on this, Wilson intends to hear the voices of the university.

“At the end of the day, we at Morgan, if we decide, and let me repeat, we have not decided yet but if we decide that we want to explore this further then we would do it after fully engaging our university community, after having really good dialogue with our students, understanding what their views are on this before we move forward and decide to install anything,” said Wilson.

There have already been advances in security over the last six or seven years such as, almost $7 million increase spent on security, the addition of security booths, primarily along Hillen Road, the installation of hundreds of new cameras, a sworn police force and contracting an outside security agency, in some places 24 hours.

Security measures at Morgan View have also progressed over the past couple of years such as the installation of the front gate, which, according to Wilson is “manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” the fixing of the inoperative back gate and additional security.

There are more security initiatives in store, beyond the addition of security guards.

According to Wilson, the university will continue to educate students on the dangers of who they are inviting to the campus, possibly encourage students to wear their ids and a new escort service.

If metal detectors are added to campus dorms, they would not be added to Morgan View, unless their management approved them, but they would possibly be added to Marble Hall Gardens since the university leases those courts.