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BUPD policies regarding caution messages

Dear Scout Editors,

 

In our ongoing efforts to better inform Bradley students and the campus community about safety and security, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the policies for the two different types of alerts issued by the Bradley University Police Department.

The “safety alert,” otherwise known as a “timely warning,” serves to notify students, faculty and staff about incidents that have already occurred but represent a serious or continuing threat to the campus community.

The decision to issue a safety alert is determined by the BUPD Chief of Police based upon assessment of all known facts surrounding the crime including, but not limited to, the nature and location of the crime, the degree of continuing danger to the campus community, and the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts.

A safety alert is informative in nature and provides general safety tips. Safety alerts are distributed via email to all university students and employees and posted on the Bradley University Police Department homepage.

The “foreWarn alert,” otherwise known as an “emergency notification” whose use is also determined by the BUPD Chief of Police, is based upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on campus.

A foreWarn message provides instructions for specific emergency action to take place, such as evacuate, take shelter, shelter-in-place, or lock down.

The notification system includes one or more of following modes of communication: text messaging, a telephone hotline (677-4000), email messaging, audix messaging, public address announcements and the University’s homepage.  The use of the text message portion of the foreWarn system is restricted to life-threatening events or severe weather.

For both types of alerts, federal law mandates that they be used when events occur on the actual Bradley campus; however, the BUPD has chosen to extend the use of alerts for incidents that occur throughout the BUPD patrol area, if the incident meets the alert-use criteria.

The BUPD patrol area includes the area between Sheridan Road, Moss Avenue, Western Avenue, Main Street, Parkside Drive, and Columbia Terrace.

In our ongoing efforts to collaborate and maintain an open dialogue with Bradley students, the BUPD is pleased to announce that starting this semester, we are forming a Student Safety Advisory Committee composed of student volunteers who will assist BUPD with reviewing and making recommendations on a wide variety of safety-related issues.

We remain committed to the safety and security of the Bradley community—the highest priority of the BUPD.

 

Sincerely,

Chief Joschko, BUPD

 

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