Rider needs more female Public Safety officers

By Sarah F. Griffin

Public Safety officers do a lot for us: they unlock our doors when we lose our keys, provide security at school events and offer rides to our dorms when we cannot drive. The Public Safety Department is, undeniably, extremely valuable.

Still, it has a major problem, as the percentage of female officers in the department does not reflect the percentage of female Rider students.

According to the “Facts & Figures” section on Rider’s website, 57% of students are female. 

Mike Reca, Vice President of University Operations, said the Public Safety Department has 28 officers, three of whom are female, which amounts to only 10.7% of the team.

The percentage gap between female students and female officers is inexcusable.

Some may say that an officer’s gender does not matter as long as officers treat everyone with respect. However, I do not have confidence that all Public Safety officers do that.

I have experienced situations with Public Safety where I felt I would have been taken more seriously if I were a man or if the officer was a woman. Conversations with other students have taught me that I am not alone in this feeling.

If Rider wants their female students to be more comfortable, they must hire more women to work in Public Safety. Doing this will ensure that Rider lives up to the promise of inclusivity it promotes so much. 

Currently, the Public Safety Department is just a small part of why that promise is unfulfilled.

Sarah F. Griffin is a senior journalism and political science major