Dear University community,
I want to provide you with an update on the incident that occurred in Flather Hall on Nov. 8 when an intruder was able to gain access into the residence hall. This individual was apprehended by Campus Police and, upon further investigation, was charged by the Metropolitan Police Department with unlawful entry into a building.
Even with the quick apprehension of a suspect, we recognize that this incident was unsettling for students, their families, faculty, and staff.
Continuing our efforts to enhance safety and security, we will be holding an interior safety walk on Monday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m. in Flather and other residence halls, so that all types of residences are examined. The intent of these walks is to identify any gaps in security and develop an action plan to resolve them. Examinations of other residence halls and buildings will be announced at a later date.
The safety walk will include myself, University President Peter Kilpatrick, Chief of Staff Larry Morris, Vice President for Student Affairs Judi Biggs Garbuio, Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Jon Sawyer, and several others who are responsible for the safety of the University campus.
Significant progress has also been made in increasing the presence of Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers and private security on campus, improved lighting, increased training for the community, and other initiatives. All of these can be tracked on our safety dashboard.
Here are some easy things that you can do now to ensure that our campus — and especially our residence halls and buildings — are being cared for, just like your home:
Everyone has a part to play. We will have increased signage (like the poster in this email) around campus as reminders of how you can play a role in maintaining our security.We need to work as one community to keep our campus safe and with your help, we can.
Kirk McLean
Associate Vice President for Public Safety & Emergency Management
