Mohamed Tawfiq Abul Naga, one of the founders of the university guard squads at Cairo University, warned of the potential repercussions of removing security guards from campuses.
In a statement to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Abul Naga said abolishing the security presence could lead to extreme groups taking control of on-campus activities and prevent other groups from carrying out their activities. “It will also open the door to anyone who wants to do anything illegal on-campus”, he warned,
Abul Naga suggested that President Mubarak should intervene by issuing a presidential decree to amend the law organizing university affairs, in order to allow a security presence on campuses again.
He proposed a possible alternative solution: using the services of the Interior Ministry's guards in civilian dress to secure the main establishments on campus. A special general authority affiliated to the interior ministry could be established for university guards in this case, he added.
Abul Naga also said that during the seventies Al-Azhar University campus was used to smuggle drugs to al-Batneyya area, a drug dealing hub in Cairo, after a decision was made to remove security guards from campus.
Asked if out-sourcing the security service to private companies was a viable alternative, Abul Naga said that private companies themselves request the Interior Ministry's security guards because they are better-trained. He pointed out that in addition this option would be very costly for the universities.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
