In an effort to increase safety on campus, the Department of Public Safety has announced that residence halls will be locked 24 hours a day and open only to residents with specially coded ID cards. The move follows a recent television report that found holes in Georgetown’s security.

“Our security appears to be a little vulnerable,” said Director of Public Safety William Tucker. “We believe that we ought to tighten up our security.”

Tucker said that the report, filed by ABC affiliate WJLA, was part of the impetus for the change, but that the larger reason is what he described as an increase in campus crime across the country.

“We want to be proactive and envision something before it happens,” he said.

Tucker said that the decision to permanently lock residence halls is part of an ongoing DPS effort that is “looking at our overall level of security.”

According to Tucker, many colleges and universities around the country, and particularly in Washington, D.C., rely on electronic card readers to guard their residence halls. He also said student guards will remain in place to provide an extra layer of security.

Tucker said the new initiative will not prove to be a significant hindrance to most students because if they do not live in a particular residence hall, they have access to campus phones to call the individuals they are visiting.

“We will trade off some convenience for good, solid security,” he said.

Tucker added that students need to work with security officials, which includes securing their own property and locking doors.

Georgetown students routinely leave their doors and property unlocked, according to Tucker.

Last week, an off-campus house was burglarized when an unidentified suspect entered the house because the student residents left the doors unlocked.

In recent weeks, DPS has also circulated campus alerts warning of a series of incidents in which a suspect entered Village A apartments while students were asleep after having entered through unlocked doors.

There has also been a recent spree of robberies and assaults in Burleith. Incidents have included assaults and robberies of Georgetown students.

Students had mixed reactions to the decision.

“It’s going to be a hassle because not everyone’s cards are activated,” Alexandra Braun (COL ’04) said. “I don’t see the need to have a guard and lock the doors.”

“I have nothing against it,” said Emily Volpe (COL ’04), “except that it will be more of a pain.”

“It makes me feel a lot safer to know that it will be harder for random people to wander around my dorm at all hours of the day,” Marcie Rubin (COL ’04) said.

Staff writer Liz McDonald contributed to this report.