Residence vandalism costs college

$20,000 - $30,000 in avoidable damage to building says general manager

 

By Kris Lapenskie

lape0039@algonquincollege.com

 

The majority of the cost of building maintenance in residence is directed towards repairing acts of vandalism, according to residence management.

 

“This past semester we have seen an estimated $20,000 - $30,000 in damage from students and guests,” said Chris Bishop, general manager of the Algonquin College Residence and Conference Centre. “And it’s all avoidable.”

 

The damage to walls is so frequent that the residence hired a full-time employee whose sole job is to plaster them, Bishop said. But it isn’t just the walls that vandals target.

 

 “The most common thing we see [other than walls] is damaged in-room doors, the ones that go to student’s individual rooms. The cost of the doors including painting, installation, and the lockset if necessary is $350. Last semester we replaced over 200 damaged doors.”

 

 They’ve also seen damaged walls, damaged hallways, fixtures, exit signs, ceiling tiles. “Whatever can be broken shall be broken,” said Bryan Boudreaux, one of the residence’s maintenance workers. “We’re still trying to recuperate from last year.”

 

Boudreaux has been working at the residence for five years now.

 

Students are aware of the problem, said 19-year-old Kelsie Gagné, an Algonquin student and resident of the building.

 

“I’ve seen people rip down the tiles from the ceiling and break tables and beat the crap out of their doors. We’ve all seen it. It happens almost every day,” Gagné said.

 

“The biggest problem we have is the sheer size of the building,” Bishop says. The Algonquin College Residence & Conference Centre contains 1,050 bedrooms.

 

The damage has reduced over the years, however, due to better monitoring of the massive building. New vandalism-reducing measures have come into effect this year including working cameras in all hallways and security guards on peak damage days. Bishop said these measures have helped catch vandals and dissuade those who may attempt to damage the building.

 

“We see 80 per cent of the damage occur between Thursday and Saturday. Security has a presence on those days and it has been helping.”

 

Boudreaux agrees.

 

 “This year has had half the damage [than last],” he said. “Two years before was total destruction, but it’s more controlled this year. I think there’s a better message going out.”

 

The cost of repairing damage takes money away from other areas of the building, Bishop says. “It has no relation to the cost of living because any profit the school makes goes back to the students, but it reduces the funds we have to say, improve the lounges or get better amenities in the rooms. It’s a shame.”

 

Bishop also said that the new security measures caught most of the vandals this past semester. Those who are caught are billed and expected to pay for the damage.