On Monday, April 16, 2007, 32 people were killed at Virginia Tech in the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. This type of sudden outburst of violence is every campus’s worst fear. In the wake of the tragedy, UCSD Police Chief Orville King discusses campus safety and security at UC San Diego.
|
Q
|
What precautionary measures are taken at UCSD to protect students, faculty and staff from the type of event that happened at Virginia Tech?
|
King:
Our campus has a zero tolerance policy on workplace violence. UCSD also has a Threat Management Group, composed of key personnel from various departments who strategize and advise the campus about potentially violent employees. These strategies can also be used to assist with students who may exhibit warning signs of potential violence.
We also work closely with local, regional, state and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies to prepare for emergencies.
| Q |
Could this happen at UCSD and other campuses? |
King: Such an event could happen on any campus in America. UCSD, like all campuses, is aggressively studying ways to keep people safe. The safety of our students, staff and faculty is our priority.
| Q |
Can this type of event be avoided at UCSD and other campuses? |
King: It is quite possible that similar situations have already been avoided through intervention, threat assessment evaluation and other proactive measures taken by law enforcement and campus officials.
The UCSD Police Department uses available resources to evaluate the potential for such incidents and trains for immediate response should an incident occur on our campus.
| Q |
Who would be in charge if an emergency happened on campus? |
King: The campus emergency plan uses an incident command system, which provides for management of campus emergencies depending on the nature of the incident. In cases involving criminal activity, a representative from the UCSD Police Department would be in charge.
| Q |
If
there is an emergency on campus,
how will information about the event
be communicated to the campus community? |
King:
If there was an event on campus that required emergency notification, an emergency notice would appear on all UCSD web pages with the latest information. In addition, the emergency broadcast number (888-308-8273) and campus “reverse 911” systems would be updated to provide information on the event. You can also tune in to local media.
| Q |
How hard is it to lock down our campus and how is that determination made? |
King: The design of our campus makes it impossible to literally “lock down” our buildings. Our main campus has thousands of doors and access areas in buildings covering over 1,200 acres.
We do have the ability to request voluntary compliance from campus members and visitors through the use of e-mail, telephonic messaging, police mobile public address system, campus web sites, and person-to-person contact.
| Q |
What should you do if someone is acting suspiciously? |
King:
Should any member of our community observe suspicious activity, the best thing to do is immediately notify the Police Department to investigate the situation. It may also be appropriate to monitor the suspicious activity from a safe distance so that additional information may be offered to officers arriving at the scene.
| Q |
What lessons were learned from the tragedy at VA Tech? What steps will UCSD leaders take from the lessons learned? |
King:
We are still in the process of learning from this incident. UCSD will continue to plan, train and prepare for this kind of situation, as well as other foreseeable emergencies that pose a threat to life or the safety of the campus community members.
We will have police officers at the Chancellor’s special Town Hall meeting on April 30 so that we can hear the concerns and ideas of the campus community regarding safety and security. We are constantly trying to improve our emergency preparedness.
|