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Campus deemed safe by UW Police
Virginia Tech shootings cause students to examine vigilance, self-awareness, preparedness
Nathaniel Shuda
Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: Campus News
One week after 23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people at Virginia Tech University, UW-Eau Claire officials are addressing issues of safety and self-awareness to the members of the campus community.
"Today's events serve as a reminder we must always be vigilant and prepared," Vice Chancellors Steve Tallant and Andy Soll wrote April 16 in an e-mail message to all university students and employees.
Freshman Nicole Scharrer said when she heard of the attacks Monday morning, at first she was in disbelief.
"You wouldn't think it would happen here, but then you kind of question that," Scharrer said. "It could happen anywhere, so where is safe?"
"I think it's something that can happen anywhere. I personally do feel safe, but there's no telling when somebody's going to snap," she said.
University Police Chief David Sprick said the department has "a fully sworn and certified police force," with officers on duty at all times, who have the same training as city police, county sheriffs deputies and state patrol officers.
"We are very active with our patrol methods," Sprick said. "(Officers) patrol in marked police cars and try to be a visible presence, (but) given the tragedy at Virginia Tech, does that give us pause? Of course it does."
In 2006, Eau Claire garnered the title of fourth-safest city out of 371 metropolitan areas in the nation in a survey published by the Morgan Quitno Press, an independent research and publishing company based in Lawrence, Kan.
"It's important for people to recognize that our campus and city is one of the safest around," Sprick said, adding that if a shooting or similar tragedy did occur on campus, the department would place all of its officers on duty and call upon other agencies and area crisis management teams for help.
"UW-Eau Claire has mutual assistance agreements with both City of Eau Claire Police and the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department and is able to access additional law enforcement resources within minutes should the need arise," Tallant and Soll wrote. "University Police work in concert with those agencies to regularly review and revise safety and emergency response procedures."
"Today's events serve as a reminder we must always be vigilant and prepared," Vice Chancellors Steve Tallant and Andy Soll wrote April 16 in an e-mail message to all university students and employees.
Freshman Nicole Scharrer said when she heard of the attacks Monday morning, at first she was in disbelief.
"You wouldn't think it would happen here, but then you kind of question that," Scharrer said. "It could happen anywhere, so where is safe?"
"I think it's something that can happen anywhere. I personally do feel safe, but there's no telling when somebody's going to snap," she said.
University Police Chief David Sprick said the department has "a fully sworn and certified police force," with officers on duty at all times, who have the same training as city police, county sheriffs deputies and state patrol officers.
"We are very active with our patrol methods," Sprick said. "(Officers) patrol in marked police cars and try to be a visible presence, (but) given the tragedy at Virginia Tech, does that give us pause? Of course it does."
In 2006, Eau Claire garnered the title of fourth-safest city out of 371 metropolitan areas in the nation in a survey published by the Morgan Quitno Press, an independent research and publishing company based in Lawrence, Kan.
"It's important for people to recognize that our campus and city is one of the safest around," Sprick said, adding that if a shooting or similar tragedy did occur on campus, the department would place all of its officers on duty and call upon other agencies and area crisis management teams for help.
"UW-Eau Claire has mutual assistance agreements with both City of Eau Claire Police and the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department and is able to access additional law enforcement resources within minutes should the need arise," Tallant and Soll wrote. "University Police work in concert with those agencies to regularly review and revise safety and emergency response procedures."
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