No campus is completely safe from an unexpected attack. At any point, the lives of students could be in danger. There are no metal detectors in buildings, and the campus, despite its great efforts, is still an open environment.

On Tuesday, students at Utica College in New York faced this reality, when the campus was put on lockdown for hours over what was classified as a “real, credible threat.”

Campus police at the University of New Haven have done a tremendous job of patrolling the campus, and responding to calls when danger is reported.

They even had an event during the fall semester on what to do in the event of a campus shooting.

Officer Dodd Parker said the focus was how to deal with a campus shooter. During the event, Parker examined what signs to look for. He mentioned that when and if you see something, you should say something.

He also discussed noticing if someone is becoming radicalized, temperamental, or if someone displays changes in their behavior, like hygiene decline or substance abuse. These signs have collectively been linked to radical behavior. There are also safety apps that students and faculty can download, like Crisis Manager. While the event covered safety techniques for students, it did not generate a large attendance. With the times that we are living in, an event like this should be mandatory. The university works hard at keeping its students safe, but students have to take charge, too.

Some students don’t feel as safe as they should on campus. There have been several occasions, especially at night, where reports of suspicious men were disclosed. There were also clown sightings between 2016 and 2017, which made students afraid to walk to class. Frightening occurrences can give the impression that campus is not fully safe, even when extensive measures are taken everyday.

The campus is open, and at any time, things can happen. Police chief Tracy L. Mooney said students should not feel a sense of worry on campus.  

“The University of New Haven Police Department remains vigilant in the protection of our campus community,” said Mooney. “We provide 24/7 public safety services to the community and provide several trainings to students, faculty and staff to educate them in the area of personal safety, as well.”

The campus police regularly conduct drills and, with staff, there will be an “active shooter” event held by the campus police, offering tips and information on what to do in a dangerous situation.

“It is not mandatory, but I would like to see more students take an interest in their own safety and in what the police department training opportunities have to offer,” said Mooney.