UI Responds to Virgina Tech Shooting
Updated: April 16, 2007
The University of Illinois hopes hopes to stop violence, before it begins. Every month, the campus police department meets with members of the counseling center to talk about people on campus who could harm someone. Campus police say if they get a report of a threatening email or phone call, they take it seriously, and speak with the student or person involved.
While they are taking a proactive approach, they admit they can't stop violence from happening. That's why there's a specific plan in place, in the event of any violent event. In the case of a shooting, like at Virginia Tech, police say their number one priority would be to contain the shooter and help the injured. Then, they say they may have to try and lock-down campus. Kris Fitzpatrick, Campus Police Chief, says it all depends on the incident. She says it would be hard to lock-down the entire campus, but police say they would definitely contain the problem area or areas.
They say they also have an advantage, because they can get assistance from Urbana, Champaign, and the Illinois State Police. The University also has a system in place to let students and faculty know about anything going on. The University hopes to get a new emergency notification system in place within the year. It would make hundreds of calls, immediately warning people of the event. They say the system will be like the technological version of the phone tree. "So many people could get a message instantly, and you could program this system to prioritize how you'd contact them. Whether by office phone, cell phone or pager. And the system also keeps track of who actually receives the message," says Fitzpatrick.
The University currently would rely on mass emails and phone calls to notify housing and academic units. It also has a special phone line, just for tragic events and other campus incidents. It's an especially good tool for parents who are far away to stay informed of what's going on.
While they are taking a proactive approach, they admit they can't stop violence from happening. That's why there's a specific plan in place, in the event of any violent event. In the case of a shooting, like at Virginia Tech, police say their number one priority would be to contain the shooter and help the injured. Then, they say they may have to try and lock-down campus. Kris Fitzpatrick, Campus Police Chief, says it all depends on the incident. She says it would be hard to lock-down the entire campus, but police say they would definitely contain the problem area or areas.
They say they also have an advantage, because they can get assistance from Urbana, Champaign, and the Illinois State Police. The University also has a system in place to let students and faculty know about anything going on. The University hopes to get a new emergency notification system in place within the year. It would make hundreds of calls, immediately warning people of the event. They say the system will be like the technological version of the phone tree. "So many people could get a message instantly, and you could program this system to prioritize how you'd contact them. Whether by office phone, cell phone or pager. And the system also keeps track of who actually receives the message," says Fitzpatrick.
The University currently would rely on mass emails and phone calls to notify housing and academic units. It also has a special phone line, just for tragic events and other campus incidents. It's an especially good tool for parents who are far away to stay informed of what's going on.
