State looks to review
Title
State looks to review
Description
<b>Will examine campus security</b>
By: David Reynolds, Staff Writer
Posted: 4/20/07
In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, school systems across the country are discussing new security measures to ensure that such a harrowing event never could be duplicated.
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced Thursday that an independent review panel has been formed to analyze the circumstances surrounding Monday's shooting.
Retired Virginia State police Superintendent Col. Gerald Massengill will be the head of the panel, which also will include Tom Ridge, the former U.S. secretary of homeland security.
N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper also has called for a special task force in conjunction with the State Bureau of Investigation, the UNC system, the N.C. Community College System and the N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities to look for improvements in campus emergency plans.
"We'll be looking at issues such as guidelines for when to declare a campus lockdown, how to better communicate with students and faculty in a crisis and more ways to identify a potential shooter, along with many others," he said in a Wednesday press conference.
Hope Williams, president of N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities, said school administrators will choose a task force during the next 10 days. She said this task force will release a report within six months containing suggestions for the 2007 fall semester.
The task force will not mandate changes, Williams said, because a one-size plan cannot fit different universities' needs.
"I think the major question is one of modifying and adjusting existing emergency response plans as institutions feel it is necessary."
Jeff Davies, the chief of staff for UNC-system President Erskine Bowles, said discussions already had begun concerning improvements in security before the Va. Tech incident, but the event has added impetus to the debate.
"The decisions have been made to ensure that all residence halls will have card access, alarms and cameras," he said. "We are trying to wrap our arms around a very big issue in a very short amount of time."
Davies said the UNC system likely will ask for state funding for the changes.
And like many other schools nationwide, UNC-Chapel Hill has looked critically at its security measures.
UNC-CH officials said their campus police have completed annual active shooter training and will work with local law enforcement in the case of an emergency.
UNC-CH has the ability to contact students through radio broadcast, housing fliers and campuswide informational e-mails.
E-mails sent to the University community take roughly two hours to reach all intended recipients.
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailytarheel.com/media/storage/paper885/news/2007/04/20/StateNational/State.Looks.To.Review-2870573.shtml> The Daily Tar Heel - April 20, 2007</a>
By: David Reynolds, Staff Writer
Posted: 4/20/07
In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, school systems across the country are discussing new security measures to ensure that such a harrowing event never could be duplicated.
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced Thursday that an independent review panel has been formed to analyze the circumstances surrounding Monday's shooting.
Retired Virginia State police Superintendent Col. Gerald Massengill will be the head of the panel, which also will include Tom Ridge, the former U.S. secretary of homeland security.
N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper also has called for a special task force in conjunction with the State Bureau of Investigation, the UNC system, the N.C. Community College System and the N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities to look for improvements in campus emergency plans.
"We'll be looking at issues such as guidelines for when to declare a campus lockdown, how to better communicate with students and faculty in a crisis and more ways to identify a potential shooter, along with many others," he said in a Wednesday press conference.
Hope Williams, president of N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities, said school administrators will choose a task force during the next 10 days. She said this task force will release a report within six months containing suggestions for the 2007 fall semester.
The task force will not mandate changes, Williams said, because a one-size plan cannot fit different universities' needs.
"I think the major question is one of modifying and adjusting existing emergency response plans as institutions feel it is necessary."
Jeff Davies, the chief of staff for UNC-system President Erskine Bowles, said discussions already had begun concerning improvements in security before the Va. Tech incident, but the event has added impetus to the debate.
"The decisions have been made to ensure that all residence halls will have card access, alarms and cameras," he said. "We are trying to wrap our arms around a very big issue in a very short amount of time."
Davies said the UNC system likely will ask for state funding for the changes.
And like many other schools nationwide, UNC-Chapel Hill has looked critically at its security measures.
UNC-CH officials said their campus police have completed annual active shooter training and will work with local law enforcement in the case of an emergency.
UNC-CH has the ability to contact students through radio broadcast, housing fliers and campuswide informational e-mails.
E-mails sent to the University community take roughly two hours to reach all intended recipients.
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailytarheel.com/media/storage/paper885/news/2007/04/20/StateNational/State.Looks.To.Review-2870573.shtml> The Daily Tar Heel - April 20, 2007</a>
Creator
David Reynolds
Publisher
The Daily Tar Heel
Date
2007-07-16
Contributor
Sara Hood
Rights
Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
Language
eng
Citation
David Reynolds, “State looks to review,” The April 16 Archive, accessed November 4, 2024, https://april16archive.org/index.php/items/show/749.