MSU “In the Finishing Process” of Implementing New Security Measures
In efforts to provide protection and comfort to students after the shooting last February, Michigan State University is enacting various safety measures—some of which were completed when students arrived on campus, with others being rolled out by the semester’s end.
According to Dana Whyte, MSU’s Department of Police and Public Safety communications manager and spokesperson, classroom door locks, improved outdoor lighting and sirens, a fully staffed Security Operations Center and improved alerts are part of the campus-wide safety initiatives.
“We always want to make sure we’re evolving, not only as a university, but also as a police and public safety department,” Whyte said. “It’s important because we want people to feel safe here on campus.”
An essential step in that evolution is classroom door locks. Danielle Fowler, Infrastructure, Planning and Facilities’s communications manager, said that due to variation in buildings’ ages and styles, installing locks that enable those inside to lock the door and first responders to enter with a key proved complicated.
“There are a lot of doors that have specific hardware,” Fowler said. “That’s why implementation isn’t just buying 1,000 locks and installing them easily. We’ve been installing them throughout the summer, and I believe the latest estimate was 65% or 70%.”
The Security Operations Center, which will operate more than 2,000 cameras, control access remotely and send pertinent safety reports, will be fully functional by the end of the semester. Representatives from IPF and DPPS could not give a precise number of cameras added after last semester.
Students can also undergo optional active violence training, a service previously stated by MSU Today to be mandatory. After hearing community feedback, however, the training was altered to be voluntary.
This community input, according to Whyte, is vital in DPPS’s implementation process. They sought opinions from community town halls, students and even Security Risk Management Consultants, LLC, an external firm whose evaluation is estimated to wrap up this month, though it’s uncertain when the report will be public.
Journalism student Sabrina Seldon said that MSU has approached the situation well and made campus still feel like home after the shooting. “Getting our feedback is important and we definitely should have a say in what they’re doing,” she said.
Though students like Seldon believe MSU is doing its due diligence, some wonder if these improvements are too little, too late.
A Bridge Michigan investigation detailed a 12-13-minute gap between the first shots reported and students being alerted, as well as the security system that “did not allow authorities to scan campus security cameras in real time.” Additionally, faculty members expressed concerns—five months before the shooting—about locks at Berkey Hall, according to the Bridge report.
“I think the changes are necessary, just way too late,” digital storytelling and English junior Cydney Jenkins said. “There have been multiple times when the school said safety measures would be bumped up. Then a man is able to come into Berkey Hall, walk five minutes to the Union and kill people. I have a lot of skepticism about what they’re saying.”
Whyte also mentioned a “gap” in outdoor measures, which was addressed by adding sirens and Green Light phones. Michael Stys, a junior studying communication leadership and strategy, cites Brendan Santo’s death in 2021 as a reason for his pessimism.
“I remember Brendan Santo, where they literally couldn’t find him or get a rough idea of where he had last been,” Stys said. “They said it was because of the chip shortage in the cameras. It doesn’t make sense why it wasn’t already taken care of in the first place.”
Chief of Police Chris Rozman noted that not all cameras were controlled by DPPS, but under the new Security and Operations Center, all will be centralized.
Rozman also said giving an exact cost estimation is difficult because of the many departments involved, but that the cost is “in the millions.” Most of that money is from the general fund, which comes from tax dollars and student tuition.
MSU recently implemented walk-through weapons detection systems at Spartan Stadium. Detectors for the Tennis Center, Munn Ice Arena and the Wharton Center are currently in DPPS’s possession. They will be installed in time for the upcoming seasons and utilized during designated events, according to Rozman and Whyte. On Sept. 8, trustees also banned concealed carry weapons on campus.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Whyte said. “That’s why we think a line of communication is so important to keep.”