Student safety is a top priority for the Boston University Police Department, but officials said yesterday that the force is also focused on the security of more than 8,000 faculty and staff members on campus.
“It’s impossible to guarantee anyone they wouldn’t be a victim of a crime,” BUPD Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire said. “When it comes to what is important, safety should be a priority. It sounds like a broken record, but it’s true.”
The BU Office of Human Resources ran the crime prevention and safety seminar, during which Hilaire spoke to a small group of faculty and staff as part of the Get Trained! Program.
Discussion centered on explaining new measures BUPD has taken since the Virginia Tech campus shooting, including the Send Word Now notification system, which sends text messages and emails to students in case of an emergency. Monthly staff and departmental meetings further communication and promote safety, St. Hilaire said.
St. Hilaire said because of the Virginia Tech shooting, BUPD is now enforcing “active shooting training.” Before, standard procedure for hostage situations was to secure the scene and wait out the situation. Now BUPD is trained to move in as quickly as possible.
St. Hilaire also emphasized the need for communication throughout the university, and highlighted BU’s advantages in effectively communicating with interrelated and local agencies. He noted the importance of preventative measures, and said although there is nothing to do to avoid all crime, the department has measures in place to stop as many as they can.
“We have similar training. We work together. We can communicate together,” St. Hilaire said.
Students do not taking full advantage of available safety programs, evidenced low attendance at residence hall public safety meetings and in monthly town hall safety meetings with Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore and BUPD Chief of Police Tom Robbins, St. Hilaire said.
“I’d like to see more participation from faculty and staff,” St. Hilaire said.
School of Law faculty services manager Linda Skinner, said in an email that being informed strengthened her overall sense of security.
“I feel that it is important to be an active member of the community in working towards safety,” Skinner said. “Sergeant St. Hilaire did a wonderful job of presenting the information.”
Skinner said she enjoyed the interaction in her small group but that it might be better for coordinators to hold programs at lunch hour or after 5 p.m. to work better with employee schedules.
Ariella Rebbi, Office of Information Technology program manager, said it is important for students to take advantage of the university’s “excellent resources for campus safety” and learn how it applies to them.
“”It was great to have an opportunity to meet and interact with the BU police and also listen to what they have to say about safety,” she said in an email. “I feel that any information regarding campus safety is worthwhile.”
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