Threat Management at Academic Medical Centers
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Date
2018
Authors
Redmond, Michael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT)
Abstract
Description
Academic medical centers have a dual mission of education and patient care. These centers are highly charged environments with life or death decisions, circumstances, and situations occurring almost hourly. Following the mass killing on April 16, 2007 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), national attention was focused on the effective mitigation strategies to avoid future incidents. Many academic institutions made changes following this incident and the resulting studies and publications (IACLEA, 2008). A focus on prevention and threat management should be established because violence has occurred and will again. These attacks and incidents are preventable by early mitigation and prevention strategies. Academic medical centers should adopt the 2008 International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) blueprint for safer campuses in regards to the areas of prevention, education, planning, and preparation. The first steps are to adopt a formal education, early threat mitigation, and evaluation process to prevent work place violence. Through communication and collaboration, professionals can work toward safer hospitals for innovation in research, education, and patient care.
Keywords
Campus police, Universities and colleges -- security measures