The University of Hawai'i system will see a marked increase in its campus security operating budget, Interim President David McClain said yesterday.

McClain said 5 percent of each university campus's new money from the fiscal period that started July 1 will go toward security.

UH-Manoa will see an increase of about $1 million over the next two years.

Figures for security in the last fiscal period were unavailable from the president's office, but McClain said "it is a significant adjustment upward."

The increases are an answer to concerns from students and parents about recent incidents on or near the UH-Manoa campus.

"Nobody's in disagreement that we need to do more," McClain said. "We believe as (the students do) — we need to have more security on campus."

At least 17 sexual assaults, 14 counts of arson and 23 counts of aggravated assault have involved UH-Manoa students in the past three years, according to the Associated Students of the University of Hawai'i.

On March 28, an 18-year-old woman was abducted by five men in a four-door vehicle while she was walking on Sea View Avenue, just across from UH-Manoa. She was sexually assaulted at a nearby park.

And on June 16, a man attempted to abduct a woman while she walked to her UH-Manoa summer school class. The attempted abduction occurred on Kamehameha Avenue near College Hill.

ASUH president Grant Teichman said there are about 30 security guards rotating shifts at UH-Manoa, with about four or five on campus at any given time.

McClain said that the chancellors would address the security needs of their respective campuses and meet with him to discuss progress Aug. 10.

The students association recently objected to the placement of two security guards at Bachman Hall — McClain's headquarters. Teichman said the guards instead should have gone into the rotation of security guards on campus.

"I'm wondering which one's the priority (offices or campuses)," Teichman said. "The administration says there's no money for security, then they're able to find the money to protect their offices."

The guards were posted after a seven-day student sit-in to protest the proposed Navy-affiliated research center on campus. McClain's office was occupied by students throughout the sit-in.

"We have to be sensitive to issues concerning current laws about hostile building environments," McClain said.

He said that some employees in Bachman Hall had expressed concerns about the building's security and that the guards were not permanent — their presence is reviewed on a weekly basis.

"I think that the administration has to do what they have to do," said Dr. Theresa Wee, president of Parents and Friends of UH-Manoa.

"I'm satisfied after meeting with McClain and (incoming chancellor) Denise Konan (on Wednesday) that they do have campus security as a top priority."

McClain said he had faith that Konan would keep the security momentum going in the right direction once she took over for the outbound Peter Englert on Monday.

ASUH chairwoman of external affairs Katie Barry was relieved that progress was made. She has pushed for the additional security since before the 2004 session of the state Legislature.

"I'm just glad it's finally happening," Barry said.