ASU police will host more than 100 visitors on Thursday and Friday for a regional safety conference aimed at protecting college campuses nationwide.
The event, the first of its kind involving ASU, was recommended by an ASU committee that studied investigations of the April 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.
Campus law-enforcement, administrators, mental-health professionals, residential-life associates, legal counsel and human resource employees will travel to ASU for “Process Improvements for College Threat Assessment.”
The two-day conference will allow leaders from colleges and universities around the nation to share ideas for making campuses safer.
Downtown campus police commander Rich Wilson said the conference would feature a diverse group of leaders.
“Our goal is to make sure ASU and the community colleges know what works best under what circumstances,” he said.
Wilson said the focus of the conference is to expose participants to policies and protocols regarding campus safety.
“What the [Virginia Tech] committee realized is that there is a continuous need for training,” Wilson said. “In order to be prepared, you have to stay current and model your programs after the best that are available.”
Wilson said most universities and colleges in the U.S. have updated their policies and procedures since the Virginia Tech massacre.
“Everyone wants to get better at what they’re doing in case there is a crisis situation,” Wilson said.
ASU police spokesman Cmdr. Jim Hardina said the conference is funded by ASU, but participants are charged a registration fee.
As the conference sponsor, ASU police officers were in charge of organizing the event and finding speakers that will better help ASU maintain secure campuses, Hardina said, but ASU officers will be learning rather than teaching.
Nancy Tribbensee, general counsel for the Arizona Board of Regents and recently appointed student-safety coordinator for Arizona, is scheduled to speak, as well as members of the Iowa State University police force and United States Marshall Service researchers.
“We’ve created an all-star team,” Wilson said. “There has been a tremendous outpouring from the community colleges and UA to attend.”
“One of the things I appreciate about ASU is that they are committed to helping our students meet their goals in a safe and supportive environment,” Christiansen said.
Wilson said ASU is ready to learn about the best safety programs that are available.
“There are always new considerations and philosophies and tools being developed,” Wilson said. “The safest way to operate is to always be up to date.”
Reach the reporter at tessa.muggeridge@asu.edu.
