- Joined
- Sep 27, 2012
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
.Hello everybody (this is the University President addressing the whole student body):.
.Tremendous emphasis is put on campus safety at WesternU (hmmmm, thats debatable). In addition to being patrolled 24 hours a day by Imperial Security (ironically, a fancy name for a lousy service), we have an excellent relationship with the Pomona Police Department (I would hope so after all the calls they get from our campus), which conducts safety seminars on campus (like bullet proof vest fittings?), in addition to being our guests for its own continuing education and training workshops (might as well train where you will have to use it). Our campus borders (about as securely guarded as getting into Mexico from CA) are checked regularly (we have one real police car patrol campus at night) by the Downtown Pomona Owners Associations security firm (where our $480 a year parking pass that we have to buy to park within two blocks of campus); the parking lots around our campus are patrolled by Pomona Police (again, one car at night); and Imperial provides a nighttime escort for students to their cars and elsewhere on campus (when they answer our calls)..
.Nevertheless, despite all (really???) reasonable safeguards (thats your opinion), bad things sometimes happen (like gang members missing their targets AND/OR Obama plan backfiring (no pun intended) to supplying Mexican Drug Cartels with US guns). On the evening of Sunday, September 23, a shooting incident five blocks south of campus near Seventh and Eleanor streets resulted in two bullets becoming lodged in two windows of our Health Education Center (true story, they are still stuck in the windows being held together with clear tape). WesternU was not the intended target of this incident (no it was probably some drug dealing gang banger "lean like a cholo" wanna be), but about 20 students were in the HEC at the time (there was one student a few yards from the upstairs window shot), so it was locked down (30 minutes after the shot WHEN the real Pomona Police made it to campus) while Security and WesternU staff sought information (like chickens with their heads cut off haha ). The HEC was taken out of lockdown (after they told the 20 students to stand outside the building near the path of the bullets) about 20 minutes later (after the 30 minute delay= 50 minutes later), and was evacuated as a precaution (but no other students were told who may have been planning on visiting their school turned crime scene)..
.While bad things happen that fall outside our ability to control (wow, impressive unintended pun relating to the uncontrollable stray bullets falling from the Pomona sky), our response to such incidents is something we can address (its about time! How many times do students have to bring up concerns about campus security??). The Universitys response to Sundays incident is being evaluated for areas of improvement (great, maybe being them up to 20th century standards?), particularly in communicating events (wait, those walki-talkies actually work???) as we know them to involved students and staff as quickly as possible (less than a day after the event would be great, thanks). Our security team and Pomona Police (glad someone knows what they are doing) also met with students during a Town Hall meeting Monday night to take feedback (the same student/faculty concerns that have been brought up in the past NUMEROUS times including two weeks ago by us second years) about the incident (reminder- the school getting shot twice); this will be used in our response evaluation and our emergency planning going forward (glad we arent completely ignoring this event). I appreciate the participation and suggestions of everyone who took part (including all of your SDN tips/suggestions/emails)..
.Although any criminal incident is troubling (especially when students/faculty could be hurt/killed), such episodes are fairly rare on and/or immediately near the WesternU campus (is 5 blocks away included in the broad radius?). When they do occur (how about being proactive?), the Universitys security staffing and protocols receive special focus (from the students/faculty pissed about all of our frustrations ). We will continue to work with WesternUs Student Government Associationto make sure students concerns are thoroughly addressed, and with the Pomona Police Department to ensure that our campus is as safe as humanly possible for our students, staff, and visitors (FYI, the perspective students and visitors on campus have enjoyed pointing out and taking pictures with the broken panes of glass). It is one of our preeminent concerns and responsibilities (thanks for thinking of us before someone really gets hurt again!)..
.As always, I welcome your feedback on this topic (even satirical commentary anonymously published on the web?). Please e-mail me with your thoughts at [email protected], and please share this message with your spouses, parents, family and friends (including all of you on SDN!!!)..
.All the best (in not getting shot/stabbed/held up/molested... in lovely Pomona!),.
.Philip Pumerantz, PhD.
.President .(and founder of
..
.Western University of Health Sciences
. (PS- Next year its going to be $5,000 instead of $4,000!)
.Tremendous emphasis is put on campus safety at WesternU (hmmmm, thats debatable). In addition to being patrolled 24 hours a day by Imperial Security (ironically, a fancy name for a lousy service), we have an excellent relationship with the Pomona Police Department (I would hope so after all the calls they get from our campus), which conducts safety seminars on campus (like bullet proof vest fittings?), in addition to being our guests for its own continuing education and training workshops (might as well train where you will have to use it). Our campus borders (about as securely guarded as getting into Mexico from CA) are checked regularly (we have one real police car patrol campus at night) by the Downtown Pomona Owners Associations security firm (where our $480 a year parking pass that we have to buy to park within two blocks of campus); the parking lots around our campus are patrolled by Pomona Police (again, one car at night); and Imperial provides a nighttime escort for students to their cars and elsewhere on campus (when they answer our calls)..
.Nevertheless, despite all (really???) reasonable safeguards (thats your opinion), bad things sometimes happen (like gang members missing their targets AND/OR Obama plan backfiring (no pun intended) to supplying Mexican Drug Cartels with US guns). On the evening of Sunday, September 23, a shooting incident five blocks south of campus near Seventh and Eleanor streets resulted in two bullets becoming lodged in two windows of our Health Education Center (true story, they are still stuck in the windows being held together with clear tape). WesternU was not the intended target of this incident (no it was probably some drug dealing gang banger "lean like a cholo" wanna be), but about 20 students were in the HEC at the time (there was one student a few yards from the upstairs window shot), so it was locked down (30 minutes after the shot WHEN the real Pomona Police made it to campus) while Security and WesternU staff sought information (like chickens with their heads cut off haha ). The HEC was taken out of lockdown (after they told the 20 students to stand outside the building near the path of the bullets) about 20 minutes later (after the 30 minute delay= 50 minutes later), and was evacuated as a precaution (but no other students were told who may have been planning on visiting their school turned crime scene)..
.While bad things happen that fall outside our ability to control (wow, impressive unintended pun relating to the uncontrollable stray bullets falling from the Pomona sky), our response to such incidents is something we can address (its about time! How many times do students have to bring up concerns about campus security??). The Universitys response to Sundays incident is being evaluated for areas of improvement (great, maybe being them up to 20th century standards?), particularly in communicating events (wait, those walki-talkies actually work???) as we know them to involved students and staff as quickly as possible (less than a day after the event would be great, thanks). Our security team and Pomona Police (glad someone knows what they are doing) also met with students during a Town Hall meeting Monday night to take feedback (the same student/faculty concerns that have been brought up in the past NUMEROUS times including two weeks ago by us second years) about the incident (reminder- the school getting shot twice); this will be used in our response evaluation and our emergency planning going forward (glad we arent completely ignoring this event). I appreciate the participation and suggestions of everyone who took part (including all of your SDN tips/suggestions/emails)..
.Although any criminal incident is troubling (especially when students/faculty could be hurt/killed), such episodes are fairly rare on and/or immediately near the WesternU campus (is 5 blocks away included in the broad radius?). When they do occur (how about being proactive?), the Universitys security staffing and protocols receive special focus (from the students/faculty pissed about all of our frustrations ). We will continue to work with WesternUs Student Government Associationto make sure students concerns are thoroughly addressed, and with the Pomona Police Department to ensure that our campus is as safe as humanly possible for our students, staff, and visitors (FYI, the perspective students and visitors on campus have enjoyed pointing out and taking pictures with the broken panes of glass). It is one of our preeminent concerns and responsibilities (thanks for thinking of us before someone really gets hurt again!)..
.As always, I welcome your feedback on this topic (even satirical commentary anonymously published on the web?). Please e-mail me with your thoughts at [email protected], and please share this message with your spouses, parents, family and friends (including all of you on SDN!!!)..
.All the best (in not getting shot/stabbed/held up/molested... in lovely Pomona!),.
.Philip Pumerantz, PhD.
.President .(and founder of
...Western University of Health Sciences
. (PS- Next year its going to be $5,000 instead of $4,000!)
Last edited:
