After VT tragedy, college security a priority

Liberty University, Lynchburg College, Randolph College and Sweet Briar have all hastened plans for additional security measures in the year since the tragedy that left 33 dead at Virginia Tech.

“Any time that sort of thing happens, we come together,” said Willie Neal, Sweet Briar’s chief of police. “We look at, what if that happened here. Are we prepared to deal with it, and if not, what do we need to do to prepare ourselves for a worst-case scenario.”

Last Wednesday, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signed a package of bills geared to improve campus security and close gaps in the state’s mental health system.

The bill required universities to develop emergency management plans and establish threat-assessment teams.

But even before the mandate, area school officials had plans in place.

At Sweet Briar, Neal said, the school has collaborated with local law enforcement to update its disaster plans, install 16 surveillance cameras and enact a campus alert system.

Later this week, the school plans to test an emergency siren system that may later be installed, he said.

Liberty, LC and Randolph have already installed similar warning systems that include a siren followed by an announcement.

At LC, school officials also focused on changing classroom door locks to those which can be locked from the inside, said John Driskill, director of campus safety and security.

“All of the classrooms on campus have been changed so that they can be locked just by pushing a button,” he said.

The school added security cameras, initiated training exercises and put a mass e-mail alert system into play, Driskill said.

In January, the school got an unexpected chance to test its early alert system when a visitor to the college called 911 with a false report of a hostage situation in a
dormitory.

“It was a good test for response of city police and our students,” Driskill said. “We found some things we can tweak and make better, but overall it worked very well.”

Officials at Randolph College tested their new siren system last month and are continuing to push students to sign up for a text and e-mail notification system, said spokeswoman Brenda Edson.

“The world is different than it was five, 10 years ago because students have instant communication access, and they expect it,” she said. “I think awareness is your biggest security.”

Awareness also is key at Liberty University, said Barry N. Moore, vice president for university relations.

The school already has put in place an e-mail notification system for emergencies, he said, and also is working to implement a text and cell phone message alert system.

“That should be in place before the next school year begins,” he said.

All officers in the university’s police department are training in rapid response with the Lynchburg Police Department, Moore said, and the school also has increased its patrols around campus.

Over the next few weeks, officials are installing about 30 surveillance cameras around the main campus, Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty Christian Academy. That’s in addition to the roughly 95 cameras already in place.
“We’ve always taken the safety of our students, employees and visitors seriously,” Moore said. “We’ve just upped it one more level.”