NCJ Number
202401
Journal
Campus Safety Journal Volume: 11 Issue: 8 Dated: September 2003 Pages: 32-34
Date Published
September 2003
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes how the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has improved security for its utility tunnels.
Abstract
The need for improved security for the UIC utility tunnels was sparked by the arrest of Joseph Konopka, a self-described domestic terrorist, and two juvenile associates as they were observed by campus police emerging from UIC's tunnel system into a classroom building. The utility tunnels contain water pipes, phone nodes, high-pressure steam lines, fiber-optic cables, cellular phone and radio transmission boosters, and high-voltage electrical lines. Damage to these systems could take months to repair. For any security vulnerability, the UIC continually aims to "harden" the campus, but extra attention has been given to the tunnel system since the Konopka arrest. The UIC target-hardening approach involves technology, personnel, and education. Technological improvements include high-tech, sophisticated additions such as remote control cameras for sensitive locations; card reader access and plans to introduce biometrics; and various alarms, including motion detectors. Where possible, grates and hatches that provided entrance to the tunnels were welded shut. Where this was not possible or feasible, a steel plate was welded and bolted to the grate or solid metal street-level entrance. Bolts were permanently attached to the tunnels' walls several feet below the entrance. A thick chain was then run between the two, securing the entrance. For a quick escape from the tunnel by authorized personnel, a thumb latch release was placed between chain links; these releases are unreachable from the outside. The UIC has also altered its internal response to tunnel alarms and has instituted increased preventive patrols. Training has focused on proper securing of tunnel entrances and immediate reports of malfunctions or suspicious circumstances. Staff turnover and the continuous influx of new students requires continuous crime prevention education efforts. Students are warned of both the physical hazards of the tunnels and of the potential criminal/campus sanctions for those caught exploring the tunnels.