Janitors and other maintenance workers at the University of Iowa will soon have access to campus buildings using plastic ID cards rather than the keys they use now, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen. The university’s more than 100 buildings are now unlocked manually at the beginning of every day and locked again when the campus closes.
Using the plastic ID cards also allows the buildings to be unlocked and locked remotely, which schools officials see as an improvement to the campus’ overall safety.
The installation process costs between $50,000 and $200,000 per building, depending upon the amount of doors the building has.
"The idea of a night watchman walking around campus with a huge key ring has to change," Chuck Green, the university’s public safety director, told the news provider.
The Iowa City-based university has not experienced a great deal of crime in recent years, but officials believe the new locks will help. From 2006 to 2008, there were 56 burglaries and 11 sexual assaults reported at the university.
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