"When the files are overwritten, then they arecompletely erased," Weiser said.
The files were requested recently by a localcourt after a vandalism suspect reportedly raninto a Princeton dormitory. Before files arereleased, both the Director of Public Safety andthe Dean of Student Life must approve the action.
"There's a whole detailed process," saidPrinceton Director of Public Safety Jerrold L.Witsil.
Princeton decided not to release the electronicfiles, but the files were subpoenaed andeventually released.
According to Lewis, it is Harvard's policy forthe Dean of Harvard College to approve requestsfor release of electronic files.
"The threshold for releasing information fromkeycard records is very high," Lewis said.
According to Lewis, Harvard's electronicrecords have never been subpoenaed.
"They [the requests] are very rare--two orthree a year perhaps--and in the three plus yearsthat I have been Dean, I don't remember a requestcoming from anywhere other than HUPD [HarvardUniversity Police Department], and then only whenit has been investigating a crime," Lewis wrote.
Weiser emphasized the deterrent of lockeddoors. He compared stealing from open dormitoriesto stealing from unlocked cars. "You find thedoor that's open," Weiser said.
According to the Princeton Department of PublicSafety, the burglary rate for the University was33 in 1995, 43 in 1996 and 42 in 1997.
Weiser cited the prevalence of laptop theft oncampus as an example of the crimes Princeton hopesto prevent with locked dormitories.
This fall, Princeton started a program sellingsubsidized laptops to students and, so far thisyear, six have been stolen. According to Weiser,five of the students admitted that their roomswere probably not locked at the time of theburglary.
According to Weiser, student reaction to thenew system has been mixed. But he said hebelieves the anxiety over the new system will goaway as the students get used to it.
"The campus had always been wide open," Weisersaid.
Students have protested the decision in variouspublications, including The Nassau Weekly and TheDaily Princetonian.
Princeton plans to install keycard access forall administration buildings in the distantfuture