University of Kentucky reflects on its safety measures in wake of Michigan State shooting

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Monday night time’s taking pictures at Michigan State College marked the 67th mass taking pictures thus far this 12 months based on the Gun Violence Archive. Immediately, the College of Kentucky is reflecting on its security practices.

Spokesperson, Jay Blanton, says, “The query turns into, I believe for all of us, is ‘what do you do to attempt to mitigate towards it? What do you do to attempt to forestall it as finest you’ll be able to?’”

I spoke with a few college students who instructed me they really feel like this can be a protected campus.

One junior, Haley Shaver, says, “For essentially the most half round campus I really feel very protected, particularly with all the emergency poles round.”

One other sophomore, Anna Benton, says, “I believe that the walkways being lit at night time makes me really feel somewhat safer.”

With round 33,000 college students and over 12,000 college and employees, the college says that security is its high precedence.

“It is a accountability our cops have, it is a accountability now we have to make sure that we’re defending ourselves but additionally that we’re defending others on our campus, that we’re, in impact, our personal brothers and sisters’ keeper,” says Blanton.

During the last decade, round $15 million has been invested into maintaining this campus protected.

“Plenty of the protocols that I believe you noticed at Michigan State, all of these are in place on the College of Kentucky,” says Blanton.

Through the years, extra lighting, emergency poles, cameras, and safety programs with automated locks, have been added round campus. The campus additionally has 54 officers. The college additionally affords “Energetic Aggressor Coaching” which focuses on how to reply to energetic incidents.

Blanton explains that the coaching is, “Just like what you noticed, most likely a number of the verbiage could also be used at Michigan State across the thought of keep away from, deny, defend, or run, conceal and struggle. I imply, it is an entire educated technique round these phrases and people actions about what to do.”

Every time an incident like this occurs on a school campus, the dialog round security continues.

“The security of the campus neighborhood is our first precedence, it is obvious and embedded in all the pieces that we do. I imply, investments that we have made over the past a number of years. I believe underscore that and undergird that,” says Blanton.

College officers say they will preserve working to supply extra assets to assist preserve this campus protected.

The College of Kentucky says that its “Energetic Aggressor Coaching” will proceed with a session within the spring semester. Extra security assets can be found on the campus police web site at https://police.uky.edu/.