How SU is reacting to national trend of gun violence

Guerrieri Academic Commons on campus. Image courtesy of David Bohenick

There has been a national trend in gun violence increasing over the last few decades and students and faculty alike at Salisbury University have noticed.

One week before the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk and the shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado on Sept. 3, SU Police Dispatch released a safety message regarding the number of false reports of active shooters on Maryland campuses, including an incident at University of Maryland, College Park. While faculty is on high alert, SU students, like Cara Biller, recognize the security on campus.

“I feel like there’s a lot of [cops] honestly," Biller said. "I always see the cars parked around here.”

University spokesperson Jason Rhodes clarified that Salisbury University has high standards when it comes to safety protocols.

"SUPD has memoranda of agreement with all local law enforcement agencies," he wrote in an email to The Flyer. "This allows those agencies to respond and assist with events on campus, as necessary, and also allows SUPD to respond to events in areas near campus, including neighborhoods and complexes where many of our students live.

"This allows both SUPD and these allied agencies to maximize their resources in the event of an emergency and also provide backup as necessary."

Rhodes said SU earned its fourth accreditation last year from the International Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), a company that specializes in evaluating safety standards in police departments. He also emphasized the importance of the SU Emergency Alert System.

"One of the most far-reaching pieces of equipment the SUPD maintains is the SU Emergency Alert System, which includes the ability to send text messages to students, take over campus computer and TV screens with emergency messages, and broadcast emergency alerts via campus sirens," he wrote. "The system is tested at least once each semester."

Students around campus said they generally feel safe on campus with the security measures in place. Freshman Brooke Sanderson specifically likes the number of police cars around campus.

"Honestly, I feel pretty good about [the security]. I like when I can go out at night and see a police officer around. I think that’s one of the reasons I chose this place," she said.

Fellow student Tyler Tucker agreed that he felt secure around campus.

"There’s been nothing to tell me otherwise.... There’s a lot of cameras from what I’ve seen. I feel like I’m in a casino half the time," he said.

While campus security's presence is felt by students, they are still aware that campus-wide emergencies can occur. When asked if she felt prepared to handle a campus-wide emergency, Sanderson said the accessibility of the main campus made her nervous.

"I think it being an open campus makes it a little more [unnerving], anyone can get on it and with all the stuff going on, it does make me a little nervous," she said.

To be best prepared for campus-wide emergencies, students and faculty can visit the SUPD Emergency Preparedness site for tips on how to respond to emergency alerts such as hostile intruders, bomb threats, fires and more.

Students are also advised to dial 911 in the event of emergencies and these numbers in the event of a non-emergency.

• Salisbury University Police Department - (410) 543-6222

• Salisbury Police Department - (410) 548-3165 (For hearing impaired - (410) 749-5756)

• Fruitland Police Department - (410) 548-2804

• Wicomico County Sheriffs Office - (410) 548-4891

• Maryland State Police - (410) 749-3101