UT ramps up security measures after bombings.
Students are urged in email to ‘remain vigilant’ for suspicious items on campus.
University of Texas officials are increasing security measures in the wake of recent bombings in Austin.
After the fourth bomb this month detonated in a South- west Austin neighborhood Sunday, the last day of spring break, UT Police Chief David Carter and interim Associate Vice President of Campus Safety and Security James Johnson sent a campus-wide email Monday morning urg- ing students to be mindful of suspicious items.
“We have no evidence of any immediate threats to campus,” the statement said. “But we must all remain vig- ilant in keeping each other safe.”
UT police will increase campus patrols, including K9 units, as long as bombs continue to be a threat. The department also will con- tinue to work with Docu- ment Solutions, the agency handling UT mail delivery, to screen suspicious packages.
The ramped up security comes less than a year after an on-campus stabbing death and two years after another homicide on campus.
Senior Elizabeth Schasel, majoring in marketing, was at UT last spring when freshman Harrison Brown was killed in a stab- bing on the Speedway Mall. She said although she generally feels safe on campus, she is pleased UT police are increasing security because she thinks UT is under threat.
“There’s always concern. Especially because our campus is open, we don’t have a gated community, it’s right in the center of town,” Schasel said. “I think everybody’s a little heightened right now, but ... whoever’s causing these problems wants us to be scared. So I’m trying to be positive about it.”
Students have been asked to monitor their mail and watch out for unattended items on campus.
“We’re asking people to remain hyper-vigilant, and we’re not talking about just packages — with backbacks, bags, anything that looks out of place,” UT spokeswoman Cindy Posey said, adding that federal agents would assist in any bomb investigation.
Anna Shulpina, a junior majoring in neuroscience, said she is worried UT police might not have enough officers to address a bomb threat, but she thinks they are doing their best to keep people informed.
“I really hope they’re doing the best they can,” Shulpina said. “And I know they are. We’ve been getting a lot of emails, updates. Everyone knows about it at this point. So everyone is, I think, very prepared and cautious about things going on.”
Shulpina said sometimes tragedies happen, but she doesn’t let that affect her time at UT. Her friend, junior Jocelyn Rogers, agreed.
“I would assume that most people’s mentality when something tragic happens, you’re like, ‘that’s terrible, but it doesn’t affect me,’” Rogers sa i d. “As bad as that sounds ... until it does, there’s no way to prep yourself for that. You can’t live your life scared.”