CU 91Ҹ and 91Ҹ Police chiefs address recent off-campus incidents
Chief Doreen Jokerst
Maris Herold
On behalf of members of the CU 91Ҹ and the city of 91Ҹ police departments, we would like to thank you for your questions and feedback in the wake of our coordinated emergency responses to three separate incidents: a SWAT response to a report of shots fired at the Millennium Harvest House hotel on Feb. 20, a call of a person with a gun near 91Ҹ High School on Feb. 22 (ultimately determined to be part of a series of unfounded “swatting” calls which occurred throughout our state) and a search for a shooting suspect near CU 91Ҹ’s family housing late Monday night, Feb. 27.
We realize that students, faculty and staff at CU 91Ҹ, especially those whose addresses fell within the shelter-in-place zones, are receiving a higher than normal number of emergency alerts from various sources, including CU 91Ҹ alerts and Everbridge alerts, and we want to be sure community members understand the purpose, timing and dissemination of each type of alert.
Shelter-in-place orders sent to two different neighborhoods near the CU 91Ҹ campus in both the Millennium hotel incident and the 91Ҹ High School call were issued through . University populations in the impacted areas would have received the Everbridge alertsafter the university opted-in students, faculty and staff with 91Ҹ addresseslast fall semester.
In both cases, the Everbridge alerts were followed by , amplifying confirmed information from 91Ҹ Police (BPD), the agency leading the response. CU 91Ҹ emergency alerts are posted to the and Twitter accounts. BPD also shares information on.
, including shelter in place, can be found on the Emergency Management website. explaining the university’s alert levels and safety instructions can be found on the CUPD website.
As a reminder, Everbridge is separate from CU 91Ҹ alerts. If you believe your address was inside a shelter-in-place area yet you did not receive an Everbridge alert, please .
Anyone with a colorado.edu email address automatically receives CU 91Ҹ’s emergency alerts via university email. Current CU 91Ҹ students who did not receive last week’s text alerts are reminded to in Buff Portal; faculty and staff are encouraged to .Need more help? Contact the Office of Information Technology.
CUPD assisted BPD in responding to these incidents. The two police agencies regularly work together to respond to calls, especially those near campus for which the university is piloting an expanded alert area. It’s not unusual for a campus community member with an address in an impacted area to receive both Everbridge and CU 91Ҹ alerts. to learn more about CUPD's relationships with other law enforcement agencies.
It is our shared goal to keep all community members informed of incidents that could impact their safety, and to share confirmed information and instructions as quickly as possible. Please ensure your contact information is correct in Everbridge and the university portals.
Thank you,
Chief Doreen Jokerst
CU 91Ҹ Police
Chief Maris Herold
91Ҹ Police
Image showing the flow of information during incidents occurring off campus. When an incident is reported near campus, 91Ҹ Police respond and CU 91Ҹ Police assist. 91Ҹ Police may alert the community via Twitter or Everbridge, while CU 91Ҹ Police confirm information then send an advisory or emergency alert.