The Department of Public Safety is working to protect the students and faculty from a potential terrorist attack. Since Sept. 11, Director of Public Safety Jack Titone has been in contact with the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and other law-enforcement agencies in order to keep Saint Louis University safe.
“We’re in the loop here at SLU,” said Titone, who has been director of Public Safety at SLU for 10 years. “But so far, universities have not been targeted.”
Nevertheless, patrols have been increased around campus. Public buildings, such as the St. Francis Xavier College Church and academic halls are being watched more closely than before.
Special attention has also been given to buildings that hold chemicals and other sensitive materials. Monsanto Hall and laboratories on the medical campus that may hold bacterial or chemical agents are among those that DPS is watching closely.
The school is looking to avoid an incident similar to what occurred at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where several containers of bubonic plague were missing (the containers were later found).
In the event of an emergency however, DPS has constructed an emergency response plan that outlines safety procedures for a number of scenarios. The plan was recently taken to the Presidential Coordinating Council and covers a range disasters, like responding to a bio-terrorist attack, tornado or earthquake.
“It is a living document,” Titone said in reference to the fact that the plan can be adapted and developed to conform to a variety of situations.
Is SLU a major target for Al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations? Probably not, according to Jean-Robert Leguey-Feilleux,Ph.D., a professor of political science who teaches an international terrorism class at SLU.
“Terrorists look for an event that can make a splash,” said Leguey-Feilleux, pointing out that a more probable target would be a famous building or monument.
Leguey-Feilleux pointed out that it is nearly impossible to identify a terrorist’s target, making prevention difficult. Titone said that constant preparation and training is the only way to be ready.
“[DPS] has 10 people on an environmental safety team,” Titone said.
The team is responsible for responding to any crisis involving biological or chemical hazards. Last year, when a student the Pius XII Memorial Library faced an anthrax scare, which turned out to be false, the team handled the crisis.
Titone also pointed out that several incidents involving suspicious mail have been handled by the team, though no piece of mail has ever tested positive as a threat. The packages in question were either unmarked or had a return address from a nation that is considered unfriendly.
DPS, with 124 officers, has also beefed-up its communications capabilities. It is now tied into the city police’s dispatch system, allowing DPS to receive assistance from police and the fire department in a serious emergency.
DPS is not the only campus agency assisting in the prevention of and reaction to terrorist attacks. The Center for Bioterrorism has been assisting SLU and the rest of the nation in the war on terror.
Since last year, the center has been a leading researcher in creating a vaccine against smallpox. It has successfully completed a study that helped create a supply of vaccine for the U.S. population.
The group has also assisted in creating training and reference materials, such as CDs and manuals for responding to a terror attack.
