GT Police offers helpful safety advice to students

Earlier this month, Tech announced its implementation of a new campus-wide communication plan for use during emergencies. The GT Emergency Notification System (GTENS), as it is called, is a system that rapidly distributes critical messages via e-mail, voice mail, and text message.

According to the Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) Chief of Police Teresa Crocker, GTENS allows the Tech administration to contact faculty, staff and students, alerting the campus to important, time-sensitive information and offering direction on what action to take.

Anyone who currently has an email address through the university will get e-mails from GTENS.

"In order to also receive text messages and voice mails, we are asking members of the campus community to provide a mobile phone number," Crocker said.

Students who wish to receive text message alerts should sign up at https://passport.gatech.edu.

Because not all emergencies are man-made, GTENS will offer a warning system for natural disasters, as well. Severe weather that affects the area will be monitored by a weather tracking system. A campus siren will sound outdoors and serve as an alarm for areas outside of campus buildings.

Installation of the audio warning device is anticipated to occur before next semester. The new weather alert system may be accessed, and subscribed to, at: http://www.police.gatech.edu/weather.htm.

The GTENS is part of a "continuing effort to safeguard students, faculty and staff," as reported in the August 14th press release from Institute Communications and Public Affairs.

Today's students are painfully aware of the potential dangers on campus. The shooting rampage that occurred at Virginia Tech in April is a brutal reminder that campus safety is a serious concern that should be met with equally firm action from campus authorities.

It is possible to avoid some campus-wide acts of violence. Each individual at Tech can have an impact on keeping the community safe.

"Everyone has a role and it is critical for our campus community to be involved and communicate their thoughts and concerns about those who make threats, or even those that may go beyond the eccentric...trust your instincts," Crocker said.

Recently, Georgia State Patrol Special Operations trained GTPD in a variety of critical situations, including what to do in the first response to a shooter. GTPD participated in training scenarios that included realistic tactics and strategies, as well as simulation and role-playing.

"Both police officers and role-players used real weapons that fired Simuntion rounds [which are] similar to paintball, but more accurate," Crocker said.

With just over two hundred reports of theft within the first six months of this year, theft is the crime that occurs most often on campus.

"Students should never leave something of value unattended," Crocker said.

"This includes items left in plain view in vehicles such as clothing [and] CD's," Crocker said.

Crime statistics from January through June 2007 are available to the public at www.police.gatech.edu.

Another factor in safety is the location of the campus itself. Tech is located in a dense urban area, with close proximity to Downtown and Midtown Atlanta, is a contrast to other less urban college environments.

"Common sense tells us that we'll have some unique issues associated with living in a large urban area," Crocker said.

But studying in the city is not without its advantages.

"[W]e're also very lucky to have excellent working relationships with Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire Department and others that smaller/rural areas would not have," said Crocker.