This past summer, the Lehigh University Police Department installed security door stoppers in numerous buildings on campus in an effort to increase safety in emergency situations. This was the department’s first step in a series of recent campus safety adjustments.
The Nightlock device secures classroom doors from the inside using an L-shaped tool placed in two mounted inserts on the bottom of the door and the floor. It can only be opened from the outside using a special device, and LUPD Sargeant Kyle Fisher said in the event of an emergency lockdown, the locks will ensure the door won’t open until a law enforcement officer arrives.
Nightlocks have been so far installed on 181 doors across campus. Fisher said if doors are made out of glass or already able to be secured from the inside, they most likely don’t have this lock system.
He said the installation of the devices was organized in response to the After-action report released from the Michigan State University shooting in February 2023.
According to the National Policing Institute, an After-action report reviews a critical incident or routine emergency to help law enforcement improve responses to future events.
LUPD administration read that the biggest security failure in Michigan State University’s report was the inability of classroom doors to be secured from the inside.
Fisher said before the installment, officers went around to every academic building on campus, looked at all the doors and marked down ones that couldn’t be locked from the inside.
LUPD’s other recent safety adjustments have included certifying officers as instructors for civilian response to active threat situations and adjusting the language and protocol for active shooter emergencies from “run, hide, fight” to “avoid, deny, defend,” Fisher said.
Holona Ochs, an associate political science professor and a member of the LUPD Review Committee, said her feelings about Lehigh classroom safety are complicated.
“As an educator, I love to have an open and transparent classroom,” Ochs said. “I love to create an environment where everyone in the classroom can thrive, and if people are afraid, that’s incredibly difficult to do.”
She said she believes campus security is a crucial topic, and conversations about the topic should be held around campus and with students so they can have a say.
Alex Toto, ‘27, said she heard about the installation of the Nightlocks through classmates mentioning it, but the system hasn’t yet been explicitly demonstrated to him.
She said he was concerned about the lack of information regarding these new installations.
“I feel like I would second-guess myself and not fully know if the door was actually locked,” Toto said. “I do think (a demonstration) would be better than nothing.”
Fisher said the Nightlock project was intended to be completed sooner, but it took time for things to fall into place. He also said LUPD plans to release a campus-wide email regarding all of the security adjustments made over the summer.
“There are new products and better technology out there to help keep us safe, so we are always looking at ways to improve safety on campus,” Fisher said.
Anyone on campus can submit a request for a Nightlock installation on a building using the request form, but Fisher said filling out the form doesn’t guarantee installation.
According to the LUPD website, members of the Lehigh community can request training for active threat situations and can access active threat resources and protocols.
A demonstration of how to use the Nightlock device is available here.
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