University Police Has an Action Plan for Potential Crises

An online anonymous threat sent University of Alabama in dizzying spin of confusion and fright according to The Crimson White’s article on how the university handled this threat.
University of Mississippi has not encountered an active shooter but the University Police Department developed plans of action for students, faculty and staff’s safety against such a threat. Here is a video by the UPD on what to do if an active shooter ever appeared on campus.

The UPD website also has documents with information on how to deal with all threats to safety on university campus. This includes but is not limited to: hostage situations, suspicious packages, presence of firearms on campus and bomb threats.
There may be an interest in the bomb threat information since there were three bomb threats in the past few years with the first being a threat of bombs attached to football players’ vehicles, and the second as a call about a suspicious package in the Malco parking lot off Jackson Ave. and the most recent as a bomb threat called in at the CVS Pharmacy last Wednesday. These three threats were investigated and no explosives were discovered .
Jeffrey Kellum, crime prevention coordinator with UPD, said a seminar on how to deal with an active shooter on campus is scheduled for this semester on Oct. 27 at residence halls. Kellums shared his crucial advice in case of danger on campus, “remove yourself from the scene and go somewhere safe quickly and quietly as possible.”
As for university communications in such an event the students of University of Mississippi are contacted daily on RebAlert which updates them on anything from road closings to game day information. The RebAlert may keep these students aware and informed if danger comes to campus.
Update: There is a class available for student registration in the EDHE category titled, “Active Shooter Response.” Kellums said it is a mandatory program which EDHE sections meet at the UPD training room during the class times. There will be three to four sessions daily over a three week period beginning later on this October.
According to Kellums the UPD also offers two programs per request of faculty or staff: Active Shooter Response and Active Shooter Risk Assessment.
“The Active Shooter Response class for faculty and staff sections covers the same nationally recognized principles for responded to an armed intruder but usually does not include the exercises we use in the freshmen classes.,” Kellums said, “Active Shooter Risk Assessment is accomplished in the work environments of each faculty and staff section in order to assist participants in identifying ways to make their work place safer.”
These programs can be requested by email at jlkellum@olemiss.edu or by calling his office at ext. 5747, 662-915-5747.
Callie Daniels is a reporter with HottyToddy.com. Write her at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com for comments and criticisms.