The women of Gamma Phi Beta sorority were wakened early Thursday morning to learn that an intruder had entered their house. Luckily, none of the residents had been harmed and only a ring was reported missing.

But the details of the incident bring to light a number of security concerns that we should consider.

Although the intruder showed the residents an SMU ID card that identified him as “Juan,” SMU police later verified that the man was a former employee of Aramark, the company that provides much of the dining service employees for SMU.

Although the card he showed the resident could have been someone else’s, the possibility that it could have been his old card raises questions as to where the number of ID cards that should be retired every day go.

While not every former student is a criminal in the making, does the university have any idea how many still usable ID cards are still floating around?

Ed Devoid, director of dining services, says that their policy is to confiscate all uniforms, bus passes and ID cards from departing employees, but somehow “Juan” slipped through.

Also, the residents reported that it took police more than 10 minutes to arrive at the scene after their call. Part of the delay came because the call to 911 was made from a cell phone. The call was routed through the Dallas police, through University Park and back to SMU PD.

While SMU police have provided the fairly easy to remember number, (214) 768-3333, to reach emergency dispatch, the resident that made the call reported not being able to remember it under pressure.

SMU police say that the land lines where 911 directly dials into SMU PD in on-campus buildings that aren’t owned by the universities are largely “hit-or-miss.” Those that live in houses with SMU phones should familiarize themselves with the number, while the SMU PD should look into making the routing of 911 for on-campus calls more direct.

But most importantly, we are each responsible for our own safety. To keep our Hilltop community safe, we should always be aware of our surroundings, follow our house and residence hall rules and familiarize ourselves with safety procedures.