TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — In the wake of the school shooting in Nashville, the Troy University Police Department (TUPD) wants to make sure students feel safe on campus. Chief of Police George Beaudry says one way to do that is to look for concerning signs and behaviors.
“The question is, how do we stop this,” Beaudry said. “How do we keep this from happening? I think what our students, faculty, staff, citizens in general, need to start thinking about is how to recognize the warning signs of this type of offender.”
Beaudry says the department is going to release a list of behaviors that students, faculty and staff can look for.
“We’re going to start pushing that information out more on social media. I just think folks need to educate themselves on what to look for in this type of offender. Most importantly, report what you see.”
Beaudry’s list comes from the National Threat Assessment Center that says potential offenders could exhibit five or more alarming behaviors. The behaviors include:
- Changes in appearance
- Interest in weapons or violence
- Threats to a target or others
- Suicidal and/or self harm
- Sadness, depression, or isolation
These are only some of the behaviors to look out for. Beaudry says the main ones are a sudden interest in weapons, suicidal thoughts, and unseasonable clothing.
“If you report that, that might give us an opportunity to intervene, stop that pathway to violence, and get that person help where they need it.”
Beaudry says many people can often see these changes in a person before tragedy strikes.
“Sadly, in a lot of these mass killing incidents, after the fact people have said, ‘Well, I recognized a, b, c in that individual but I didn’t report it because I didn’t think there was much to it’.”
Students can report not only to the police department but also to student services, the student counseling center, and even to a professor.
“There are a lot of avenues here. You may not want to talk to the police, that’s ok. There are many other avenues on campus. You just have to reach out.”
Chief George Beaudry, TUPD
You can find the university police department’s social media on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also download the Omnilert app on the App Store or Google Play.
