Campus Safety Conference Agenda

Dear Safety Partners,

Welcome to the University of Utah and our first Utah Campus Safety Conference. I’m excited to welcome all of you—our partners—as we explore ways to keep our campuses safe. It is only through our collaborations, sharing of information and development of best practices that we will all succeed in creating safe and secure environments that promote learning, creativity and possibility.

We are all united by the desire to feel safe. This is a basic human need. Our teams are committed to meeting the safety needs of the thousands of individuals who learn, work, live, teach, or visit our campuses every day.  We are also committed to leading the important, and sometimes difficult, conversations that improve the way we serve our campus communities.

This conference is an opportunity to bring our diverse campus communities together to achieve one goal—improving safety and security on all our state’s educational campuses. It is my hope that this becomes an annual gathering where we can learn from each other, sharing ideas and best practices as we all prepare for the future of campus safety together.

Thank you for being here today, and for being a part of these important conversations.

–Keith Squires, University of Utah Chief Safety Officer

Utah Campus Safety Conference

WELCOME REMARKS AND President Taylor Randall and Chief Safety Officer Keith Squires

MORNING KEYNOTE ADDRESS

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

OC Tanner Ballroom

Second floor

KEYNOTE: Making Campuses Safer: How your response to victims can make a critical difference

Presenter: Dr. Jill McCluskey

Dr. Jill McCluskey is the mother of Lauren McCluskey, the honors student athlete who was murdered in 2018 at age 21 on the University of Utah campus. In response to this tragedy, McCluskey founded the Lauren McCluskey Foundation with a primary mission of improving campus safety and a focus on the response to victims. McCluskey is also a Regents Professor and Director of the School of Economic Sciences at Washington State University. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.

Participants may choose two presentations to attend during each of the morning and afternoon breakout sessions.

MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS Demystifying the Federal Prosecution Sphynx: A Discussion of Federal Law Pertaining to Firearm Possession Restrictions and Opioid Overdose Deaths in the University Campus Context

Presenter: Stephen L. Nelson, Assistant United States Attorney

In this session, attendees will learn about two types of federal crimes with direct relevance to public safety on university campuses: firearm possession by restricted persons and opioid overdose deaths. The presenter will describe the state of federal law in this arena and discuss the way these types of cases are most effectively investigated in anticipation of federal prosecution.

You Are the Number One Risk to a Successful Cyber Attack

– 12:00 p.m.

Sorensen/Boyer Conference Room

Second floor 10:10 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Dumke Conference Room

First floor

Presenters: Representatives from the Utah Department of Public Safety, Statewide Information and Analysis Center (SIAC)

How policymakers, law enforcement, and higher education personnel are at risk of causing successful cyber-attacks. What is known as an insider threat, any person who has or had authorized access to or knowledge of an organization’s resources, is the number one cause of successful cyber-attacks (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, “Defining Insider Threats”). This breakout session will cover the common cyber-attacks and how to recognize them, so you are not the next victim.

Workplace Violence: Keys to A Safer Work Environment

Presenter: Chris Snyder, Chief of Staff, University of Utah Department of Public Safety Everyone has a right to feel safe at work. Take a deep dive into the realities and types of workplace violence, current trends, common misconceptions, and what employers can do to reduce risk and increase safety in the workspace.

12:10 p.m.

OC Tanner Ballroom

Second floor

A Mother’s Journey to Understand the Tragedy and Future Preventions

Presenter: Chin Rodger, Mother of Elliot O. Rodger

Ms. Chin Rodger is the mother of Elliot Rodger. On May, 23, 2014 in Isla Vista California near UC Santa Barbara, Elliot killed six people and wounded 14 before taking his own life as he was being pursued by police. In a 137-page document emailed out to friends and family just before his attack and in videos posted on YouTube, Elliot detailed his frustrations and rage over his profound social isolation and his resentment toward those who had what he desperately wished to have – an intimate partner relationship with a female. As a result, Elliot’s name became synonymous with the “incel” movement, an indelible connection that persists to this day.

Chin will share about the myriad elements of behavior and circumstances that culminated in the horrific tragedy. Chin will further share about the painful process of discovering and exploring in depth the emerging preventive method of threat assessment and management and why she believes this would have prevented her son’s tragedy and the many that followed since, for hope to prevent the next one.

ROUND 1 - AFTERNOON 2022 – The Year of Bomb Threats at the University of Utah

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1:25 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. 2:20 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.

Dumke Conference Room

First floor

Presenters: Stuart Moffatt, Interim Director, Emergency Management,University of Utah Department of Public Safety; Captain Hinojosa, University of Utah Department of Public Safety

During 2022 the University of Utah experienced five potential bomb threats, an unheard-of amount in a single year for our institution. While none of these incidents resulted in the loss of life or property, the incidents tested our processes and procedures. Each incident had a unique context, response and result. Join us to review these cases as we share lessons learned from each incident.

1:25 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. 2:20 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.

Henricksen Conference Room

First floor

An ounce of prevention: A panel discussion regarding Behavioral Intervention Teams and the value of early intervention Moderator: Brian Nicholls, special assistant to the Chief Safety Officer

Panel Members: Larhonda Johnson Horton, Director of student support and student accountability, Office of the Dean of Students; Ken Stonebrook, Associate Dean of Students, Office of the Dean of Students; Lt. Reuban Torres, University of Utah Police; Robert Payne, University of Utah Deputy General Counsel; Hilary White, Crime Victim Advocate Coordinator, University of Utah Police; Erica Wood, Supportive Measures Manager, Office of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Title IX; Dustin Banks, Director of support services for UHealth

With individuals (students, employees and community members) facing high levels of stress, often college administrators and other organizational leaders may encounter individuals whose behaviors are concerning, disruptive, or threatening towards themselves or others. They respond to the safety needs of our community, the University of Utah, and other institutions have created Behavioral Intervention Teams (BIT). BIT promotes student, faculty and staff success and campus safety by facilitating the identification and support of individuals who demonstrate behaviors that may be early warning signs of possible troubled, disruptive or violent behavior. In this session, participate in a discussion and learn from a panel of experienced practitioners in the fields of student support, mental health, legal, Title IX, and law enforcement as they discuss best practices in this ever-evolving field.

1:25 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

2:20 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.

Sorensen/Boyer Conference Room

Addressing Sexual Violence: Understanding Awareness, Response, and Prevention

Presenter: Dr. Chris Linder, director of the McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education

Increased attention to sexual violence on college campuses over the past several years is a huge win for student activists! Unfortunately, it has also come with a fair amount of confusion and disagreement about effective strategies for addressing sexual violence. This presentation will explore the differences between awareness, response, and prevention of violence. It will also develop strategies to stop violence from happening in the first place within our own circles of influence.

ROUND 2 - AFTERNOON Trends in Active Shooter Events and Law Enforcement Response

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

3:15 p.m. – 4:05 p.m.

4:10 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Henricksen Conference Room

First floor

3:15 p.m. – 4:05 p.m.

4:10 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sorensen/Boyer Conference Room

Second floor

Presenter: Supervisory Special Agent Ben Binger, FBI Salt Lake Division

Join Supervisory Special Agent Ben Binger as he reviews active shooter events over the past 20 years, and how law enforcement response has adapted and changed to this threat and what the future might look like.

A Data Driven Community Oriented Public Safety Model – Utah State University

Presenters: Chief Blair Barfuss, Executive Officer Erik Christensen, Utah State University

This presentation shows a shift in problem solving approaches USU Department of Public Safety implemented beginning Fall 2022 semester to include heavy reliance on data from all university community members to best identify gaps in service, potential blind spots requiring further review, and how to focus on fiscal responsibility with emphasizing staffing time and cost savings from patrol coverage to large scale events on campus.

3:15 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. 4:10 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Dumke Conference Room

First floor

Second floor Scan

The language of policing: Instituting a more thoughtful and victim-centered dialogue between police and the community

Presenter: Captain Hinojosa, University of Utah Department of Public Safety

Words matter, and how we communicate can have an impact on how an interaction is perceived. Communication needs to be thoughtful, and we must be aware that what we say and how we say it can impact an investigation. This presentation will discuss lessons learned the hard way, the steps taken at the University of Utah Police, and how police can improve in service of the community.

The Department of Public Safety would like to give special thanks to all our conference presenters, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, our USafe Student Ambassadors, and the many department staff members who have helped make this conference happen. Thank you for your support and partnership!