Two months ago, the vehicle access control system to the Unicamp campus was incorporated into the Campinas Integrated Monitoring Center (CIMCamp), a structure that currently monitors 26 points in the city, using 91 video cameras. Despite the short period, the measure has already provided positive results, such as more efficient supervision of the flow in and out of the university space and a reduced response time when dealing with incidents. “The integration of our monitoring system with CIMCamp brought important advances to the University's effort to increase the safety and well-being of the internal community and visitors. Obviously, this is a dynamic area, which will deserve constant evaluations and actions on our part”, states the Executive Vice-Rector of Administration, Professor Roberto Rodrigues Paes.
The campus mayor, professor Armando José Geraldo, reinforces vice-rector Paes' assessment, noting that the passage of vehicles through the university city's six entrances is monitored by both the Unicamp central office and CIMCamp. At the University, 21 cameras were installed. “This makes us more aware of events. Recently, the system identified the entry of a vehicle reported stolen. In just five minutes, a Municipal Guard team was already on campus. The suspects were subsequently detained,” he reports. Around 42 thousand vehicles circulate through the Barão Geraldo campus daily.
According to the university mayor, since the integration of the systems, three cases of flash kidnappings have been recorded, two in April and one in May. “One of the crimes was committed outside Unicamp’s premises. The criminals brought the victim to the campus to force him to withdraw money from the ATM of one of the banks located at the University,” he explains.
Both Paes and Geraldo state that these and other types of crimes concern the Unicamp administration, which has been holding continuous meetings to evaluate the security measures already adopted and formulate others. “This is a point that will not leave our agenda”, assures the Executive Vice-Rector of Administration. “Recently, after a meeting with representatives from the health sector at Unicamp, we installed a mobile base near the hospitals and increased the circulation of security guards with motorcycles in the region, as a way of also preventing the actions of criminals in the area”, adds Geraldo.
Among the initiatives carried out in recent years to increase security on campus, according to the university mayor, is the launch of the Panic Button, an application that allows members of the university community to activate the surveillance system, via cell phone or tablet, in the event of an emergency. . An equally important measure was the creation of the VIDAS [Internal Health Care Vehicle] service, which provides rescue and care for health urgencies and emergencies 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. Since it was implemented in June 2015, many lives have been saved.
VIDAS serves the Barão Geraldo campus, Multidisciplinary Center for Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Research (CPQBA), in Paulínia, and Student Housing. Replacing campus lighting is also part of the context of increasing security, as the university mayor points out, as it inhibits the actions of criminals.
