SUPD Focuses on Ensuring Campus Safety

The Virginia Tech incident received national attention, prompting state officials to raise the standards for protecting students.
According to Southern University Police Chief Michael Morris, the SU Police Department took advantage of opportunities offered by Governor Kathleen Blanco as part of an initiative to better emergency planning.
The department designated two officers as trainers. They attended workshops and then returned to teach other officers here at Southern.
“We train as SWAT; we do our own special operations,” said Morris. “Our officers are trained to neutralize the threat.”
However, many SU students do not agree on the purpose and capabilities of the school’s police force.
“I don’t feel safe because the only thing that they do is give tickets and tow cars. It seems like the only ones that care about the safety of the students are the ones who work by the dorms,” said Lauren Clark, a freshman business management major from Baton Rouge.
Despite such opinions, there are some students who are confident that SUPD has been trained to protect them if a situation similar to the Virginia Tech incident were to occur on Southern’s campus.
“They go through the same training as the Baton Rouge police, so I do believe that those qualities qualify them to adequately protect us,” said Demarcus Alexander, a freshman business management major from Baton Rouge.
The goals of SUPD are clearly outlined on the department’s website. These include a desire to support and enhance a safe learning environment and to advance community policing through research, training and development.
“My interest is that this campus is made safe,” said Morris who is beginning his second year as chief.
Southern has in place an Emergency Response Plan that dictates what will be done in certain situations including, but not limited to, an active shooter, a chemical spill and a hurricane. This plan basically outlines the duties of the faculty, staff, police and also the students.
“Southern University has always been on the cutting edge for emergency plans,” said Morris. “The department administrators and I are very skilled in crisis management.”
Matters such as evacuation plans are clearly outlined in the university’s Crisis Management Plan. It goes so far as to mention what will be done for students who don’t have access to cars in a time of crisis.
“There are pick-up points for students without vehicles, and we have buses on stand-by,” explained Morris.
The police department is also notified when there are situations occurring outside of campus that may be harmful to students. The Community Alert System will also be utilized in the case of an emergency.
“We constantly prepare for these situations and we make sure that we have a plan,” said Morris. “We have contingency plans,” added Morris. “If Plan A doesn’t work, we have Plan B.”
To further ensure campus safety, the university has a monitoring system that allows SUPD to see what is going on at any given point in time throughout campus. If an incident occurs, the cameras would allow SUPD to see the extent of the situation and further isolate the problem.
Because the Southern University Laboratory School is a part of the SU system, it is also covered under the plans of the university. If something were to happen on Southern’s campus, Southern Lab would be notified and vice versa.
Southern Lab consists of 400 students ranging from pre-k to 12th grade. The laboratory school is just as prepared as the university. The campus is gated, monitored with cameras and patrolled by a resource officer.
“I am very privileged to serve such a good student body, said Southern Lab. Director Derek Morgan. “We’ve had minimal infractions including maybe two or three fists altercations but no weapons or shocking violence.”
Morgan explained that the school has an Emergency Response Team equipped with communicators. This is to ensure that problems are quickly reported and isolated.
“The main thing is to pick it up and have it resolved quickly. As an administrator you need to know your student population. There are always signs before an incident,” said Morgan when questioned about the Virginia Tech shooting.
Southern Lab has also begun preparing students for various situations by taking them through random drills. The students have gone through fire drills and lockdowns. In addition, lessons have also been taught about the appropriate response to certain situations.
“This is a safe and organized campus,” said Morgan.
The Emergency Response Plan for Southern Lab can be found in the student handbook while Southern University’s is available online on the campus website.