Letter 1 – Complaint Letter
November 27, 2020
Quentin Michalchuk
2005 Lower Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Student Housing and Community Service Main Office
2005 Lower Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Subject: Student Housing Safety and Security Concerns
Dear Student Housing and Community Services,
I have lived in student housing for a number of years, ever since I became a student at UBC, as I have found the affordability of residence and close proximity to classes appealing. I have been active in ensuring maintenance and quality assurance was performed when necessary, including requesting tuning and repairs on the piano with which I accompanied a Totem residence play, reporting broken elevators, doors, etc. both in my room and throughout the residence perimeters. Recently, however, I have been the unfortunate victim of a bike theft after locking my bike up right outside of my building, leaving me both helplessly frustrated and upset.
I have always locked my bike up securely, with both custom wheel locks, handlebar locks, as well as a large U-lock that links the mainframe to provided bike racks. I have attempted to keep my bike as safe as possible, bringing it in my room when necessary, using a bike cage, and even walking to the adjacent card-gated building to lock my bike securely in the basement bike rack. However, these options are not always practical in urgent situations. In one such instance of quickly heading inside, I left my bike locked up in front of the building and came back to find only the mainframe. The wheels had been hammered, off, the handlebars absent. Despite having an identification number engraved on my bike, I would be unable to trace the bike, as the identification number was located on the mainframe. I could only report it to the police mainly for insurance purposes.
It would be understandable if this was a chance occurrence, however all residents know the dangers of having valuables such as these, evidenced by the remnants of bikes left on racks. Theft is unusually common in residence; please find the theft reports for UBC in 2017 here as an example, keeping in mind far more thefts go unreported: https://security.ubc.ca/security-stats/theft-ubc. In 2017 alone, a total of 127 bike thefts were reported, an exceedingly high amount for any residences’ reputation. Responsibility for security rests in your hands, and as such, I am requesting that you install security cameras in front of Marine Drive Building 5 as well as the adjacent buildings, making thieves aware of them through posters on the bike racks. This will act as a deterrent for thieves, saving students thousands of dollars and staff many hours reviewing theft reports due to the lack of security. This request, although not novel, has proven effective in many locations on campus. For example, bike cages under surveillance have much lower levels of theft. This security camera can be the beginning of progress towards ensuring student safety and higher quality of life on campus.
Please let me know of your plans to combat theft at this particular location at the end of the semester.
Thank you,
Quentin Michalchuk
Enclosure: Bike Theft Remnants
Letter 2 – Bad News Letter
December 12, 2020
Anne Whitney, Student Housing and Community Service Main Office Employee
2005 Lower Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Quentin Michalchuk
2005 Lower Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Reply: [Subject: Student Housing Safety and Security Concerns]
Dear Mr. Michalchuk,
Thank you for your patience and for reaching out to the Student Housing and Community Service regarding your security concern. We would like to thank you for your dedicated patronage to the Student Housing Services and to apologize for all the stress that your bike theft has undoubtedly caused you.
Of course, your safety is of our utmost concern. It is for this reason we ensure safely secured residences that require personal keypad entry, as well as keys both to rooms and individual units. However, security questions and concerns should be addressed to UBC Campus Security Services (2133 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4). Campus Security is a terrific resource that closely works with Student Housing, and we can guarantee that they will assist in any way that they can.
Undoubtedly, your insurance will cover the majority of the bike cost. In addition, we are well aware of your concerns and are confident that security is working on a solution. Please refer to their website for updates on security and safety on campus.
Although we are unable to directly assist in the installation of security cameras and posters, we urge you to inquire with Security Services for further correspondence. In addition, if you happen to have related or unrelated residence-related inquiries, please do not hesitate to ask, for we will address these efficiently and appropriately.
Sincerely,
Anne Whitney
Student Housing and Community Service Main Office Employee
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