Shock and devastation plague Americans across the country following the attack at Ohio State University. 

According to CNN, Monday, November 28, 2016, OSU student Abdul Artan ran down several people with his car., and then proceeded to slash people around him with a knife. Within about one minute, Officer Alan Horujko neutralized the situation leaving Artan dead. 

Campus police departments across the country watched as the story continued to unfold. 

“They responded obviously very appropriately from what we know,” LSUPD spokesperson Lt.  Kevin Scott said. 

Monday’s attack brings to light the necessary updates campus police forces need in order to protect students. LSUPD refuses to sit idly by during incidents like this, Scott said. Instead, the officers focus on and improvements that can be made at the University. 

“We’re critiquing it, if you will, and looking at it from the perspective of a police officer on campus,” Scott said. 

Over the past few years, LSUPD has updated its ability to respond quickly and efficiently, includingh the launch of the “See Something, Say Something” campaign in 2011. 

“Certainly police can’t be everywhere at all times, and so, we’re wanting to plant the seed in our community that if you see something suspicious, you see concerning behavior, to report it,”  Scott said. 

Scott said, following the implementation of this campaign, the number of reports to LSUPD has skyrocketed. 

Another program put into place by LSUPD is the behavioral intervention team, which is designed to mitigate negative behaviors that range from mental illness to stress. 

“The days where we could stand by and wait for a crime to occur to report it to police, those days are over,” Scott said.  (I really like this quote a lot. Good job.) 

Campus police departments are looking to improve safety on campus through awareness and intervention. Attacks like the one at Ohio State remind many why it’s important to stay vigilant and safe. 

To sign up to receive emergency texts from the LSUPD, log into your myLSU account, and find the link under Campus Community.