麻豆原创

An Update Regarding Recent Hoax Bomb Threats to 麻豆原创

Yesterday, 麻豆原创 received another hoax bomb threat through an email. The 麻豆原创 Police Department (LUPD) quickly responded, investigated, and determined that there was no threat to campus.

Unfortunately, this is the third hoax bomb threat received by 麻豆原创 in the first three months of 2024. It also appears as if we will continue to receive bomb threats as there has been an increase in hoax threats nationwide, frequently involving institutions of higher education and other schools with the intention to disrupt operations and student learning.

While our community has been fortunate that the previous threats were hoaxes, be assured that we take every threat seriously. 麻豆原创抯 Campus Emergency Planning Team and LUPD have developed and implemented procedures using national best practices and expert consultants.

LUPD established procedures, policies, and relationships with various local, state, and federal agencies that contribute to the readiness of our community to respond to a bomb threat in real-time. LUPD officers engage in regular in-service training, including training on response to bomb threats. LUPD has inter-agency agreements with local and state agencies, such as the Romeoville Police Department, Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (a statewide mutual aid consortium). These collaborations allow LUPD to tap into state and local resources and intelligence when responding to complex incidents. Additionally, LUPD has liaison relationships with federal agencies, such as the FBI and US Secret Service.

Also, LUPD recently provided in-person training to employees across numerous departments on campus regarding these types of threats, so that employees likely to receive such a threat are prepared to respond in a way that maintains public safety without creating an unnecessary disruption to campus operations.

I want to thank LUPD for their efforts in preparing for and responding to our recent hoax bomb threats. Each bomb threat response requires a systematic analysis and evaluation of the situation to determine the threat level. The predetermined procedures ensure the response is appropriate to the threat level, such as searching locations, evacuating buildings or deployment of additional resources, like a bomb squad.

Our previous hoax bomb threats were evaluated as such low risk that no action was required from the community. As part of the University抯 commitment to open communication and transparency, an email notification was distributed even though no action was necessary, and no danger was present in these incidents.

If a response was required by the community as a whole or specific building or personnel, the University would utilize the most efficient method of immediate communication available, such as utilizing the campus emergency communication system (RAVE), a direct phone call, or even an in-person notification from an officer.

After the initial response to a bomb threat, subsequent investigation and prosecution of these threats involves collaboration and coordination with the various partnerships mentioned above and experienced law enforcement professionals on staff with specific technical training in conducting these complex investigations.

For example, the investigation into the February 12 hoax bomb threat resulted in a 15-year-old male from Chicago being charged with violating the Village of Romeoville抯 ordinance against disorderly conduct for transmitting the threat.

As the frequency of these threats continues to increase throughout the US, our community will continue to plan and prepare to respond to future incidents by prioritizing public safety and seeking to minimize disruptions to our educational mission.

If you have questions about the University抯 response or preparedness efforts around this topic, feel free to reach out to Mike Zegadlo, Chief of Police at 815-836-5021 or zegadlmi@lewisu.edu.