Dear Outlook,
Last week you reported on a random criminal attack on a student very near our campus. You had information in your story that we did not have. You asked questions for which we had incomplete information at the time. Time and tide wait for no man [or woman]; neither does press time. Today, we all understand more about the isolated incident. Your article was important to me in that it inspires us to press our neighboring police departments harder for information when incidents are nearby, but out of our jurisdiction.
I am eager to alert students to potential or occurring dangers. You have seen that in our messages about norovirus, shootings on other campuses, etc. In this particular case we followed Federal Clery Act procedures, but did not issue a Hawk Alert late in the night, because it was apparent, at the time, that the threat was gone. I spoke with your Editor and Managing Editor about the story and about Hawk Alerts. It was a very good conversation; helped me understand the perceptions of some students. As a result, I have asked our VP (Administrative Services), General Counsel and Police Chief to re-review our procedures for Hawk Alerts as they pertain to off-campus crime, even if random. I am aware of the “cry wolf” syndrome, too many warnings at the wrong time turn people off. I am also concerned about safety and I will err on the side of too many warnings. So Outlook, thank you for the article and for the helpful conversation.
Paul G. Gaffney II President