Campus security and communication were buzzwords the day after a student stabbed a Metropolitan Community College (MCC-Penn Valley) dean, just minutes before Missouri’s governor was to arrive on campus.
MCC-Kansas City Chancellor Mark James said he would focus on “bullet proofing” the campus security plan and improving student and staff emergency notification. “I am determined to learn what we can from the situation and take appropriate action to enhance our security and post-incident procedures,” James said.
MCC staff and students helped James hold the assailant and disarm him. Others helped the victim, Dean of Instruction Al Dimmitt. After the 9:45 a.m. incident, about 45 minutes passed before an electronic communication went out notifying employees on all five MCC campuses that a student had stabbed Dimmitt in the neck, and that the student had been tackled by witnesses and apprehended by police, said a Kanas City Star report.
An electronic message didn’t go out to students until Wednesday morning, and only to those students signed up for the notification.
The report said that James is planning a campus wide discussion to learn where the emergency notification system may have failed and to take suggestions on how it can be improved. MCC-Penn Valley already has started transitioning from a campus security force to a state-commissioned armed police department. A police chief and one commissioned officer already have been hired.
