The University of Saskatchewan Department of Campus Safety is a member agency in IACLEA (International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Agencies). Following is a statement released by Association President Steven Healy earlier this week respecting the Virginia Tech tragedy:

WEST HARTFORD, CT (April 16, 2007)– The shootings at Virginia Tech
University today are a horrifying tragedy. On behalf of its 1,000
institutional members representing institutions of higher education in
the U.S. and worldwide and its 1,700 professional members, IACLEA
extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims who lost
their lives today. To the Virginia Tech University community, IACLEA
wishes to offer its sympathy and support in this troubling time.
IACLEA is a professional association that advances the campus safety
profession by providing educational resources, advocacy, and
professional development programs and services.
Campus public safety departments are charged with the important
responsibility to protect the lives of millions of students, faculty,
staff, and visitors to our college and university campuses. Campus
public safety leaders must constantly examine and strengthen the
training they provide to their officers and staff to ensure that they
are doing all they can to protect the precious lives entrusted to them.
While tragic, this incident can provide an opportunity for campus public
safety departments and campus administrators to examine their policies
and procedures and, if necessary, to make changes to enhance the
protection they provide against acts of violence on our campuses.
While incidents of shootings on college campuses are rare, each life
lost is unacceptable and represents a promising future sadly shortened.
IACLEA has initiated a number of programs and professional development
workshops to assist campus public safety leaders in protecting campuses
against acts of violence. Through funding from the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, IACLEA offers a Threat and Risk Assessment tool, a
three-day Critical Incident Command class that trains command-level
staff in managing incidents involving terrorism and other catastrophic
events on campus, and a one-day WMD Awareness class. With these grants,
IACLEA has also developed model emergency operations plans and guides
for communicating and collaborating with mutual aid partners. With the
support from the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services, the National Advisory Board for Campus Public Safety
is developing a model for a future National Center for Campus Public
Safety. This center will serve as the focal point for policies,
practices, and best practices. IACLEA also offers professional
development programs on school violence prevention at its Annual
Conference and other conferences.
While these training programs are important, campus public safety
leaders must continue to work with our campus administrations and policy
makers to ensure that adequate policies, training programs, and
resources are in place to prevent violence on our campuses.
IACLEA stands ready to work with all campus public safety constituents
to prevent the kind of senseless acts of violence we have witnessed
today.