In situations like the tragic event that occurred at Umpqua Community College the only top priority for schools and law enforcement is keeping students, faculty and the community safe. Whether that is sending alerts to students or enhancing law enforcement.
For both Oregon State University and University of Oregon the key was to inform students and the community that there was no possible threat to either campus.
The main goal for the UO Police Department was to assure the campus community that there was no threat headed their way. While law enforcement channels were exchanged during the shooting at UCC the UOPD monitored incoming information and did not see a need to increase law enforcement on campus.
“We were aware of the location of the events at Roseburg, but nothing indicated any real threats to the university, Eugene or Springfield,” Communications Director and Public Information officer Kelly McIver said.
The UOPD did not issue a UO alert for because they saw no indication of any danger to students.
“We connect with many law enforcement agencies and share tips, reports and information that is crucial. We didn’t want to put out there information that wasn’t useful to students. People will get alerts when they need to,” McIver said.
While at OSU students were notified via email the steps and precautions the university was taking place in regards of a known active shooter at UCC.
“The safety and security of our students, faculty and staff is always our top concern,” Associate Vice President, University Relations and Marketing at OSU Annie Athon Heck said. “While there were no indications of a threat, we enhanced our security to take every precaution possible to provide for the safety of our campus community.”
With no indications of any imposed danger the OSU campus still responded by increasing the presence of law enforcement personnel on the Corvallis campus.
“This is an evolving situation and we will continue to monitor and respond as needed to support the OSU community and provide assistance to those impacted by this senseless violence,” Heck said.
All throughout the month OSU will offer students and the community different seminars addressing safety and preventative tips.
The Associated Students of Oregon State University have partnered with the Oregon State Police and Faculty Senate to spread “Run, Hide, Fight” posters all over classrooms as part of a national campaign. The goal is to create a proactive community and prepare students.
Other seminars and workshops this month will include: Working with distressed students and active shooter preparedness, Run. Hide. Fight. workshop, OSU’s Threat Assessment Team (TAT) and counseling services for those in need.
For details on OSU’s seminars visit their link.