Michigan State to restrict building access after campus shooting
Posted For: Le Bouffon du Génocide
by UpNorthLive Newsroom
EAST LANSING, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) — Safety measures will be increased across the Michigan State University campus, school leaders announced Wednesday.
The announcement was made in response to last month’s mass shooting in which three students were killed and five were critically injured.
“The actions we are outlining today position us on a path to reclaim our sense of safety that was so violently taken away from our community,” MSU Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., said on Wednesday.
“These steps will provide more robust security on campus while better preparing our community to respond in these unfortunate situations,” Woodruff said.
School leaders said the improvements will focus on four areas: building access, classroom and door locks, camera coverage expansion and mandatory training.
Building access
Effective March 13, most buildings on the East Lansing campus will require key card access by current students, faculty or staff members from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. the next day. Accommodations will be made for public events that take place on campus.
Door locks
The university will begin outfitting 1,300 classrooms on campus with an appropriate lock system that allows instructors to secure classrooms while maintaining building and fire code compliance and allowing first responders to enter the spaces in the event of an emergency.
University leaders identified the fall 2023 semester as the goal to have this measure in place. Other doors outside of classroom settings may also be considered for additional safety measures.
Camera expansion
MSU will expand its camera network of more than 2,000 to include additional cameras throughout campus, including academic buildings and Green Light phones already on campus, to provide adequate monitoring coverage.
Simultaneously, MSU Police and Public Safety is proceeding with its project to centralize the oversight of all cameras and security systems.
Mandatory training
While the university has voluntary active violence training available through MSU Police and Public Safety, it will begin requiring all students, faculty and staff to complete active violence intruder training starting this fall.
School leaders also said that in addition to the safety measures, MSU will soon request proposals for an external, third-party review of the university’s response.
The third-party’s review will provide recommendations that will be released to the public.
“Our security portfolio is multifaceted, and we’re constantly evaluating improvements and changes — seen and unseen — that strengthen safety on campus,” said Marlon Lynch, MSU Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police.
“The actions we’ve outlined today, combined with internal and external reviews, position our university to be safer, more secure and better prepared into the future,” Lynch said.
https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/msu-seeks-to-improve-campus-safety-measures-after-mass-shooting#
