To: Dr. Vincent Boudreau (President of CCNY)

From: Omar Ramirez, Undergraduate Student at CCNY

Subject:  Problems with security and the way to enter the campus. 

Date:02/26/2026

Summary of the Overall Problem:

When entering the buildings on the CCNY campus, students and faculty must show their ID or some form of identification to the security guard on duty. However, many times when students enter the building, the security guards are distracted or simply not checking IDs. This makes it very easy for outsiders to enter the campus. Additionally, the exit on the second floor of the NAC has no security presence, which allows anyone to enter the campus unnoticed. A simple fix to this issue would be hiring more security personnel and/or implementing ID scanners.

Why It Matters:

Many times, when students enter the campus during the day or later in the evening, the security guard responsible for checking IDs is distracted or not paying close attention. This can allow anyone to enter the campus, which may lead to serious safety concerns. Additionally, the second-floor exit in the NAC has no security monitoring. Many students report seeing individuals enter through this exit on multiple occasions.

There have been many terror attacks across the country on college campuses. According to Matthews, A. (2026, February 20), School Shootings in the US: Fast Facts, “Recent years saw a stark increase in school shootings, with 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 all setting records since at least 2008. There were at least 83 incidents in 2024, but 2022 was one of the deadliest years, with 47 fatalities, according to CNN’s analysis. That year saw the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two educators were killed and more than a dozen others were injured. In 2025, there were at least 78 shootings, with 32 killed and 122 injured.”This clearly shows how increasingly common these attacks are becoming. In order for CCNY to prevent tragedies like the one that occurred in Uvalde, there must be a greater emphasis on protecting the safety and well-being of students.

How to Fix the Issue:

One solution would be hiring more security staff to help ensure that the responsibility of checking IDs is not placed on just one individual. Another solution would be implementing ID scanners. There are examples of these scanners being effective, such as at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where students can easily scan their IDs to enter the building. This system makes the ID-checking process more efficient and ensures that only students and staff are allowed inside. This solution would improve efficiency, make entry more seamless, reduce the workload on security personnel, and most importantly, help students feel safer and more secure when entering campus.