Residence halls have been adding to the security measures used, but housing officials said students need to participate in the security for it to work.

The three areas posing the largest threat to student security, are letting strangers in crash doors, propping those doors open and leaving rooms unlocked when not at home, said Don Buckner, Director of Student Housing.

These situations depend largely on student cooperation, Buckner said. “The first line of security is student security.”

“This is part of a nationwide awareness,” he said.

Associate Director of Housing Jack Felver said it is difficult for residence halls to maintain security when students admit strangers on their floor.

Residence halls have used stenciled signs on crash doors to warn students about opening the doors for strangers, Felver said.

A new precautionary measure the halls use is posting signs stating residents should be cautious in “remote or dimly lighted areas in or around the residence halls.”

The posters advise residents who see “suspicious-looking individuals” to report the sighting to hall staff or University Police.

About 25 posters will be placed in each residence hall complex in areas designated by hall coordinators and their staff, Felver said.

Buckner said possible locations for hanging the posters are in laundry rooms, lower hall lounges and hallways with light traffic.

James Brunson, area coordinator of Grant Towers, said “over here, we’ve enhanced the security in the evening,” in addition to advising students to take normal security measures.

Brunson said residents need to use their key to get to their floor in elevators from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. as part of increased security measures approved by the hall council. Keys were formerly needed from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Door guards continue to check keys and IDs of residents as they enter between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., he said.

Other than being a precautionary measure, increased security measures have been used because of reports of uninvited guests in rooms and reports of sexual assaults, Brunson said.

Lincoln and Douglas Halls have started a “night host,” or door guard system in the past two years, said Sheryl Mullis, area coordinator for Douglas and Lincoln Halls.

This is so students need IDs to enter the building and all doors to halls are locked continuously so only residents of the floor can open them, Mullis said.