Wisconsin Governor Doyle Creates Task Force to Ensure Campus Safety

Signs Executive Order Bringing Together Higher Education, Law Enforcement, Student and Community Leaders

May 02, 2007 -- MILWAUKEE, EAU CLAIRE –Governor Jim Doyle today signed Executive Order 196, creating the Governor’s Task Force on Campus Safety – charged with developing best practices to ensure the security and preparedness of all college campuses in Wisconsin. Following the tragic events that occurred at Virginia Tech, Governor Doyle joined with Task Force co-chairs, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard and River Falls Police Chief Roger Leque, to announce the new state efforts at UW-Milwaukee and at UW-Eau Claire.

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“When Wisconsin students go off to college, I don’t want them, or their parents, worrying whether their campus is unprepared for an emergency,” Governor Doyle said. “My Task Force will bring together students, parents, law enforcement and officials from our states colleges and universities to provide recommendations for how institutions should prepare for both physical security needs and critical mental health aspects to ensure campus safety.”

The Task Force will develop best practices for campus safety, by bringing together representatives from the UW System, Wisconsin Technical College System, and the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. University and college officials will join with law enforcement officers, student affairs professionals, mental health professionals, faculty experts, student housing administrators, student and parent representatives, and a representative from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

To ensure the safety and preparedness of college campuses across Wisconsin, the Task Force will:

* Determine the best way to communicate with students and local law enforcement during an emergency, with special focus on campuses that don’t have their own police department;
* Develop the best coordination between campus officials and local law enforcement;
* Determine how to identify students who may be vulnerable to extreme and dangerous actions, and develop ways to direct these students to mental health services they need before they act out; and
* Assess appropriate campus security, and other threat assessment systems.

This effort will coordinate with work being done in the UW system and at campuses across the state.

The Task Force will hold two statewide summits on campus safety issues, including physical planning and critical mental health aspects to ensure campus safety. The Task Force will submit an interim and final report of findings and best practices for long term solutions to keep our campuses safe and secure.

A copy of the proclamation is available at: http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=11146.

Source: Wisconsin Governor