By Jon Alba
Shooting incidents on college campuses have become an epidemic over the past several years, prompting questions as to how an institution can prepare for such an incident. Quinnipiac University mentioned earlier this year after announcing armed officers for its campuses it would consider active shooter drills.
That, however, appears to be off the table. University officials recently confirmed to News Team 30 the school would no longer be looking into the possibility of active shooter drills, providing no specific reasoning for the change in plans.
Hamden Police Chief Thomas Wydra notes there may have been several logistical issues if the school went forth with such drills, primarily due to the size of the student body. With Quinnipiac having more than 6,500 undergraduate students enrolled, coordinating a drill of such magnitude could prove difficult.
“To try to engage in active shooter training in an environment like that where you have people everywhere would probably be unsafe,” he said. “It would be alarming, and really, difficult to coordinate.”
Active shooter training would involve members of the Hamden police force alongside other units scavenging the Quinnipiac campus, working as if there were an actual armed threat on the campus. This would effectively put the campus on lockdown, a process which could last several hours.
Wydra noted, however, his department is no stranger to the Quinnipiac campus. When students are on break or away from campus, police often hold simulation drills in the event there was an incident, exercising a variety of scenarios.
Coincidentally, the school was confronted with an alarming situation Sept. 24, when a home invasion in Hamden resulted in the university texting and emailing students and faculty of an armed man being within the area. The break-in took place more than four miles from the Mount Carmel campus.
“The university is required by law to make the university community aware of a situation that’s happening nearby so that members of the community can safeguard themselves,” Quinnipiac Associate Vice President of Public Relations John Morgan said in a statement.
Wydra ultimately believes Quinnipiac’s armed officers initiative will be beneficial in protecting against an active shooter.
“A large percentage of these active shooter situations are diffused with an active shooter response,” he said. “Whether that’s a police officer or a public safety officer employed by Quinnipiac University, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that person is confronted with an armed response.”
