This has been a difficult week in Moscow. We mourn the tragic loss of members of our community and our Vandal family. The victims of last weekend’s tragedy were deeply involved members of the Moscow community, and our town and our institution will suffer for their absence. The many expressions of sympathy this week attest to their characters – their passion, their service to others and their long roots in this community. They will be missed by so many – our Vandal Family included.
In the wake of this heartbreaking event, we are reminded that gun violence can occur in any community, large or small. We are also reminded of the role the university plays in the community when it comes to communicating about things that happen on or around our campus. Many in the community – on campus and off – have asked why University of Idaho did not send a Vandal Alert on Saturday about the shootings. I’d like to explain our process in making that decision and share how we will improve our communications going forward.
By current policy, UI issues Vandal Alerts to the university community after confirming that a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students, faculty, staff or visitors is occurring on campus. Communications are informed by confirmed facts from emergency responders to provide instructions to the UI community for protective action.
Once we became aware that several shootings had occurred in Moscow last Saturday, UI Safety and Security staff immediately contacted the Moscow Police Department (MPD) and learned, at that time, that law enforcement was pursing the suspect in Washington. Shortly thereafter, the suspect was apprehended and taken to jail in Whitman County.
UI does not have its own law enforcement staff, so we rely on MPD to work with us to make judgments about threats to our community. Moscow police informed us that there was only one suspect in the case and there was no threat to the UI campus. Consistent with our policy, and based on that information, we decided not to issue a Vandal Alert.
We have received criticism about that decision — criticism we have taken to heart. I recognize the importance of letting people know when there is no danger, as well as when there is a serious and immediate threat. UI should have issued a Vandal Alert letting people know that there was no danger on campus, an assessment we received directly from MPD shortly after 3 p.m. We will change our policy and practice on the use of the Vandal Alert, so that our public is better informed as situations like this one arise.
Occurrences like this one are a challenge to manage; events unfold quickly and clear information may not be immediately available. Nevertheless, we are absolutely committed to communicating effectively with our community. We learn from every experience and are actively reviewing our response in this case to improve our communications practice and to ensure we are providing information as quickly and efficiently as we can.
Sincerely,
Chuck Staben
University of Idaho President