STUDENTS at Virginia Tech experienced a frightening start to classes last week: William Charles Morva, a convicted felon, broke out of a vehicle on his way from his prison cell in Montgomery County to a local hospital. During Morva's violent escape, he killed one officer and assaulted another. Morva ended up on a bike path near Blacksburg and was captured but not before shooting and killing another officer. This incident was a shock to all of Blacksburg and, especially, to the Tech campus, which was on lockdown throughout the whole Morva ordeal.
Although this incident occurred in another college town, Morva couldjust as easily have escaped to Charlottesville. Following such an unfortunate occurrence, police are able to analyze the incident and prepare information to equip the University Police and other Virginia police departments for such a scenario. Morva's escape and subsequent violence should offer a lesson for University police in their efforts to better handle security issues, but more importantly, it necessitates developing University awareness and information prior to an emergency.
Captain Michael Coleman, one of the deputies in charge of the University Police administration and support service, said in an interview that the Virginia Campus Law Enforcement Association is still analyzing the incident and has not yet relayed information about any new procedures for dealing with a similar situation. According to Coleman, however, most of the changes regarding safety on Grounds will likely be minor, since the University police enforce lockdown conditions on Grounds for a dangerous criminal with a procedure similar to that used in case of a natural disaster or a terrorist act. The University Police, in conjunction with other law enforcement groups and emergency providers, would assign an incident commander to allocate and distribute necessary information to students; this commander would, of course, be relieved when necessary to receive food and other supplies. In addition to an incident commander, other officers would distribute security information throughout the incident by means of several sources, from e-mail to loudspeakers.
Unfortunately, unless a specific emergency situation such as a lockdown occurs, students will continue to have a limited knowledge of emergency procedure. The University does have an emergency preparedness plan posted on its Web site, but it is primarily geared towards security officials. There is information available regarding immediate action taken in case of different incidents, but much of this information is unclear and less in-depth than what students need, such as nearby emergency areas for off-Grounds students. For example, emergency shelters such as University Hall and Memorial Gym are cited, but additional shelter information should be offered on the Web site for students who cannot access these buildings during an emergency.
In addition to more complete shelter information, the University must make student-oriented information for a large-scale lockdown easily accessible. Just as one might stockpile supplies for a threatening weather incident, so too are stockpiled supplies needed if there is to be a large-scale lockdown. With little effort, the University could provide such a list of supplies, as well as additional tips, online. More generic lockdown tips -- such as how to deal with suspicious individuals -- should be available in case another incident such as Morva's escape occurs on Grounds. In general, a criminal lockdown should be treated differently than a natural disaster or a terrorist incident. Even if much of the protocol is similar, a specific University plan for a lockdown situation needs to be available for student awareness.
Understandably, University police and other local law enforcement must limit the information given to the public at large, especially if a dangerous individual such as Morva can access it. The University also should not generalize incidents of this nature; each emergency situation is unique, with intricacies and issues that will develop only in that situation. Nonetheless, last week's escape demonstrated that students as well as first-responders must be prepared for the worst and know what to do prior to an emergency situation such as the one in Blacksburg.
While the Morva case was a frightening experience for all involved, thethe police department and emergency crews' excellent teamwork averted what could have been an even more tragic conclusion. Fortunately, University police can work in tandem with other organizations to make sure that students are well-informed and prepared during a lockdown or other unusual emergencies. Let's take it one step further and make students better prepared prior to it.
Adam Silverberg's is a Cavalier Daily Opinion columnist. He can be reached at asilverberg@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | 4 days agoThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 5 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
