The University’s emergency text message system was not used after two armed robberies occurred on campus only 18 days apart earlier this month. University officials determined the incidents posed no “immediate danger to the LSU community,” and there was no “certain action [that] should be taken by the LSU community.” “At the time of the [Jan. 22 armed robbery] report, investigators found out that the suspects had fled the scene in a vehicle,” said Maj. Lawrence Rabalais, LSU Police Department spokesman. “There was no immediate danger to the campus community. They left the area.” Kristine Calongne, University spokeswoman, said the text message system is only one tool the University uses to alert the campus community of possible danger. Although other means of alarm include broadcast e-mails, voice mails to campus phones, Web postings and local media alerts, Calongne said the only practice implemented after the Jan. 22 armed robbery was a broadcast e-mail sent to on-campus residents. Rabalais said the criteria to send an emergency text message is if the incident poses immediate danger to the campus community or requires an immediate response, such as an evacuation, from the community. He said a text message will be sent for incidents determined to meet the criteria. Some University students say an emergency text message should have been sent after the recent on-campus robberies and are upset with the decision to not do so. “I don’t think an armed robbery should be treated any differently than a catastrophic event, such as the double murder at the Gay apartments,” said Caleb Persick, mass communication junior. “When they know about it, they need to send it out. If they’re going to have a system in place, it doesn’t need to be for just murders.” Krystle Tauzin, biology senior, said she thinks the University should have sent the text message alert after the armed robberies. “I signed up [for the system] because I wanted to be notified immediately in case of an emergency,” Tauzin said. Carolyn Van, biology junior, said she did not hear about the Jan. 22 armed robbery until the next day from a friend. She said she often studies in the library at night and feels a text message should have been sent after the recent incidents. “I think [the text message] is important because we’re surrounded by the crime,” Van said. “It’s dangerous.” Calongne said the establishment of guidelines to determine if an emergency text message should be sent after an on-campus incident coincided with the implication of the emergency text message system. The LSU Emergency Operations Center determines when and if an emergency text message is needed, Calongne said. She said the EOC and LSUPD collaboratively decide if an incident poses an immediate threat to the campus community or if an immediate response is necessary. Calongne said the same guideline was used to assess the Dec. 13 double homicide at the on-campus Edward Gay Apartments. “For the double homicide, at the time we responded, we weren’t as certain as to what the situation was, so we sent a text message out because I didn’t want another … situation to occur,” Rabalais said. Rabalais said 15 to 30 minutes after an incident is reported, LSUPD and the EOC assess the information and determine if an emergency text message should be sent. He said an additional 15 minutes is necessary for subscribers to receive the message. LSUPD responded to a 9:15 p.m. report Jan. 22 from a female student who was robbed at gunpoint in the West Campus parking lot near Stubbs Hall. Detectives are currently investigating possible connections to a Jan. 4 armed robbery outside Middleton Library. The latter incident was reported to LSUPD at 5:56 p.m. Both incidents involved two male juvenile suspects, and two arrests were made Jan. 7 in relation to the Jan. 4 robbery.
—-Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected]