BUPD to increase communication for campus safety

Title

BUPD to increase communication for campus safety

Description

By: Lisa Davis
Posted: 4/27/07
Increasing communication in case of an emergency within the Boston University community will be a top priority for the BU Police Department for the next few months, officials said last night at a town hall meeting in the Student Village organized in response to the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings.

The BUPD will also be looking into all possible means of communication to stay in close contact with staff and students by using phones, email and text messaging, said BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins at the meeting, which was attended by one Student Village Resident Assistant in addition to a reporter and photographer for The Daily Free Press.

"In the case of a crisis, there would be various communications," Robbins said. "One way or another, in a crisis, we'll get the word out."

The community must be able to openly discuss public safety, which was the motivation behind holding the meeting, Robbins said along with Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire and Office of Residence Life Director David Zamojski.

The three BU officials stressed the importance of being aware of safety even when there is not a crisis at hand.

"Sometimes it comes down to just being aware of your surroundings," Robbins said, adding that those who ever think they need help off campus should call BUPD.

"In terms of safety, the avenue to bring that up is through a [Resident Assistant]," Robbins said. "It's about communication."

When BU administrators inform students about safety at freshman orientation, parents tend to pay close attention while students "glaze over," Robbins said.

"You should think ahead," Robbins said. "We are in the middle of a city, and that's what makes us great as a university."

Students should program the BUPD phone number into their cell phones, in addition to numbers of taxi companies, to ensure further security, Zamojski said.

The low turnout will not discourage the BUPD from holding more meetings on a regular basis, including one more before the semester ends, Robbins said.

"From the feedback I get from students, everyone feels safe here," Robbins said. "We are a safe campus. We're in a relatively safe part of the city."

Robbins said a town hall meeting format is the best way to discuss important issues with the community.

"If we don't know about it, we can't take action," he said of last night's topic -- "If you see something, say something."

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Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/27/News/Bupd-To.Increase.Communication.For.Campus.Safety-2885705.shtml> The Daily Free Press - April 27, 2007</a>

Creator

Lisa Davis

Publisher

The Daily Free Press

Date

2007-08-13

Contributor

Sara Hood

Rights

Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>

Language

eng

Citation

Lisa Davis, “BUPD to increase communication for campus safety,” The April 16 Archive, accessed March 28, 2024, https://www.april16archive.org/items/show/1027.