Security Scare

I was speaking to a resident staying at my hall just yesterday, and he told me of two security-related incidents at the ANU recently. Just last week, a gunman was reported around another hall about 10 minutes walk away, and he only knew about this because he has a friend who works at the office there.

Then, two days ago, he said someone tried to break into the block where I'm staying (which is the block for all residents during summer vacation), in the process of which the two card readers that opens the door were broken off. That explains why there were notices all over telling us to use another side gate which operates using the room keys. The card readers were fixed quickly though.

And it doesn't help that yesterday the Australian Federal Police had some training in the vacated blocks and the unoccupied wing of the kitchen. It was rather ominous that while we were chatting about this on one side of the kitchen, armoured police with rifles and tasers were having mock exercises and passing through the other side.

To be honest, I'm not sure if these events are connected. Or for that matter, if they were true or just rumours blown out of proportion (maybe the supposed gunman was merely someone taking his/her rotten banana for a walk). But considering that the ANU notice of the police training on campus was released only one day before it began, it does add a sinister note to the event (and why on campus, of all other possible locations?). Strangely, there were no reports by local news or releases by the ANU security, which perhaps suggest all these as just rumour-mongering, though it could mean, at a lower probability, that someone is trying to cover things up.

Personally, I've not witnessed anything alarming or worrying. But I think, to be on the safe side, I shall have to take slightly stricter security measures. For example, I should develop the habit of locking my room if I'm leaving it for something longer than using the toilet, especially when I have my laptop sitting innocently inside.

If I could be bothered at all...