Today the Albuquerque Journal reported, “UNM exploring why 14-year-old was on campus, says it plans to upgrade emergency alert system.” But this response barely scratches the surface of the deep safety issues facing our campus.

The problem is not just communication. It’s the pervasive lack of prevention and physical protection. Many campus buildings lack panic buttons, secure hiding spaces, and structural safety features. Many offices in newer buildings are encased in glass. Suite entrances also feature glass, leaving no place to shelter during an active shooter situation. Desks offer no concealment, and there are too few emergency call boxes to rely on. Meanwhile, the campus is poorly lit, and police presence seems minimal; I can go weeks without seeing an officer.

These issues are compounded by the reality that the campus is wide open. Almost anyone can walk into nearly any building. Ironically, the administration building requires badge access, while the rest of us remain exposed. Training resident assistants in dorms and police won’t change the fact that by the time help arrives, the harm is often already done.

The widely promoted “Run, Hide, Fight” strategy for active shooter situations assumes that individuals have access to concealed, secure areas where they can safely hide if escape is not possible. However, on much of the UNM campus, particularly in newer or renovated buildings, this guidance becomes nearly impossible to follow. Glass-fronted offices and open-layout suites provide no visual barriers or physical protection. Hiding behind a desk in a glass room offers no concealmenant. An assailant can see directly inside. Even interior office doors are often glass-paneled, and few spaces can be locked quickly. Without opaque walls, secure locks, and protected shelter areas, the “hide” piece of “Run, Hide, Fight” becomes a dangerous illusion. Occupants are left fully exposed and vulnerable while waiting for help that may arrive too late. In a recent incident, campus police were called multiple times before anyone answered. There was never an alert sent out.

Beyond campus borders, safety continues to deteriorate. Central Avenue has become a corridor of unchecked violence. Murder and crime rates are rising, and the city has failed to address them. And yet, no physical barriers, no controlled entry points, and no substantive improvements have been made to protect those who study and work here.

Consider these alarming facts:

• In 2023, UNM’s Clery Report documented 609 Clery‑reportable crimes, roughly 12.5 incidents per 1,000 students, placing UNM among the highest overall crime rates for four‑year universities in the U.S., according to Dailylobo.com and SafeHome.org. Violent crime alone at UNM occurred at a rate of 5.19 per 1,000 students, also among the highest in the nation, according to SafeHome.org.
• Bernalillo County’s violent crime rate hovered around 1,266 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2022—more than triple the national average (~381)—and while it dipped slightly from its 2021 peak, it remains persistently high KOAT+2New Mexico Legislature+2abqraw.com+2.
• In 2024, the Albuquerque metro area averaged about 11 homicides per month, with over 100 shooting deaths reported in the year abqraw.com.

Despite these statistics and the city’s well‑publicized crime emergency declaration in April 2025 and deployment of National Guard assistance, the UNM alert system remains slower than Albuquerque Police alerts. This delay leaves campus community members relying on dated systems after violence has occurred.

We deserve better than alerts. We deserve secure spaces, not glass facades.
We deserve prevention, controlled access, rapid response, and infrastructure that keeps people alive, not upgrades that arrive after tragedy.

Some suggestions for safety

1. Secure building access to all dorms and student housing, including a desk where IDs are checked, and only students have access.
2. Enhance visibility and surveillance by increasing campus police presence and installing cameras at the entrances of all buildings.
3. Install panic buttons in dorms, classrooms, and reception areas.
4. Improve campus lighting and install more call boxes.
5. Enhance the communication alert system by synchronizing it with APD, which seems to be faster and more timely.
6. Conduct realistic safety drills specific to areas of campus. There is no need to teach “hide” when that isn’t possible in glass offices.
7. Consider having APD be the first call and not campus police for violent crime.

These actions do not require new legislation or major infrastructure projects. They depend on administrative will, cross-departmental coordination, and community pressure. Immediate steps should prioritize deterrence and rapid communication, which are the core principles of physical security.

**Albuquerque Journal – a 14-year-old is not a man. He was a child.

*Views are my own as a private citizen who thinks we must address violence.