SFCIC votes against funding Greektown e-phones

A lack of funding has not stopped the discussion to install phones.

By Megan Stroup

Published April 2, 2009

The Student Fee Capital Improvement Committee rejected a Missouri Students Association request for funds to support the installation of emergency phones in Greektown during their final recommendation meeting Tuesday.

MSA President Jordan Paul presented the proposal for emergency phone funding to the committee. The proposal included statistics on past usage of emergency phones on campus, maps of potential phone locations and letters of support from MU Police Department, the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association.

Paul said he has not yet received any official communication from the SFCIC about their decision.

"SFCIC did see benefits to having the emergency phones in Greektown," SFCIC Chairman Bryan VanGronigen said.

VanGronigen said the phones do act as physical deterrents to bad behavior and provide a sense of security to the surrounding residents. Despite these benefits, the committee ultimately decided not to recommend funding for the phones.

"We didn't see enough of a usage in present emergency phones for actual emergencies," VanGronigen said, noting that the majority of calls were false alarms once police officers got to the phone.

PHA Vice President of Public Relations Lindsey Hoffmann said the money could be used more effectively elsewhere.

She said prank calls were never a concern during the PHA discussions, adding the idea never even crossed her mind.

IFC spokesman Ryan Morimura said prank calls are a risk with any emergency phones, but the IFC was more concerned with whether the phones would be used.

"Prank calling could conceivably happen anywhere," Morimura said. "I don't know why it would be singled out here."

Paul said the statistics on correct emergency phone usage were more than adequate to justify funding. Statistics from the MUPD included in the proposal stated that in the year 2008, about 40 percent of calls from phones were legitimate. This averages to about one legitimate call every three days.

"We thought those were acceptable standards for use," Paul said.

Aside from the SFCIC's concern that the phones would not be used for real emergencies, VanGronigen said the location of the phones were not ideal.

In the plan Paul presented, the phones were placed on the periphery of Greektown, which the committee predicted would not serve as a deterrent.

Paul said the locations of the phones were a flexible detail.

"We deferred almost entirely to the committee with regard to placement of the phones," Paul said.

The SFCIC claimed location was not a make-or-break factor in their decision.

"SFCIC discussed moving the location of the phones as a contingency of funding," VanGronigen said in an e-mail. "But that was rejected. There really just wasn't a bona fide need presented to the committee during the proposal presentation."

VanGronigen explained the committee's allocations and recommendations, finalized on Tuesday, are now under review by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs, who has the final say.

"Dr. Scroggs has taken the committee's recommendations most of the time, because we are the ones that actually hear the presentations," VanGronigen said.

Paul said he and MSA Vice President Colleen Hoffmann are now looking for alternative funding sources within MSA.