Cat Gonzales
Lantern Staff
The safety on campus has been questioned by many since the last incident occurring on campus on Tuesday, Feb. 27, and Thursday, March 1, in which a male student flashed and exposed himself to two female students.
Typically to inform the Butler community of anything concerning, a Butler Emergency Alert Response System (BEARS) alert is sent in the vent that campuses are closed because of weather, if there is an armed killer or other significant events. However, following the most recent incident on campus, some students have asked why a BEARS alert is not sent out regarding various crimes on campus.
“I am in charge of the BEARS system and make determinations in consultation with the President {Kimberly Krull} on the use of the BEARS system for campus notifications,” Bill Rinkenbaugh, the vice president of student services, said. “Any notification for the entire campus community will be sent utilizing the BEARS system. For example, weather closings, notification of an armed killer, or other significant events. Crimes against individuals that are being investigated by Public Safety, in most cases, will not result in a BEARS alert. The only time we will issue a campus-wide alert is if there is an immediate or perceived danger for the campus community.”
On Tuesday, Feb. 27, and Thursday, March 1, Bruce Grooms Jr., a former male student, was arrested for flashing and exposing himself to two female students. A BEARS alert was not sent out regarding this incident.
“This is not something we would alert the campus to unless we were unable to identify the perpetrator and had a reason to believe the behavior would continue that may cause students to become victims,” Rinkenbaugh said. “In the case of the 1500 building incident, the individual was identified. From the initial identification, it appeared that he was not a student. Upon diligent investigation by our Public Safety officers, they were able to identify the individual was a student. He was arrested the next day and taken to the Butler County Jail.”
If a crime has occurred on campus, the best thing that someone can do is to contact the Public Safety office, according to Jason Kenney, Butler’s chief of police.
“If a student is a victim of a crime or needs to report a crime, that individual should either call 911 or go to the Department of Public Safety to report the crime,” Rinkenbaugh said. “Public Safety offices are open 24 hours per day in El Dorado and the entire time that the Butler of Andover campus is open.”
To contact the Public Safety office, call (316) 321-7657.
