Pitt police prepare in case of future terrorism

The Pitt police have established a heightened level of security on campus since the federal… The Pitt police have established a heightened level of security on campus since the federal government’s announcement of a high state of terrorist alert nationwide.

Pitt police Chief Tim Delaney said he is in direct communication with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as city and county public safety departments. In the event of a terrorist threat, Delaney and Pitt police can coordinate continuously in unified activity with these organizations.

“We can communicate immediately,” Delaney said. “We’re not leaving messages in an office or e-mail.”

Right now, Pitt police have increased its security patrols and coverage of the University. It is not a matter of increased manpower so much as it is coordination of the manpower they already possess. The focus is on organization – looking at their shifts and job assignments, making sure there’s coverage everywhere.

For example, take the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League swim meets at Trees Hall.

“You’ve got 30 school buses up on the hill for a period of eight hours,” Delaney said. “We’ve got men up there, but at the same time, you have to keep the coverage everywhere in addition to special details and events.”

Planning for this sort of situation in Pitt police is, according to Delaney, nothing new. The department was taking part in training to deal with weapons of mass destruction as early as 1999, two years before the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

If suspicious activity is reported to Pitt police, Pitt officers will be conducting the initial investigation of the report. This is, he explained, largely a question of practicality. Pitt police officers know the campus, they know the daily routine, and they know better than other organizations what is suspicious and what is not.

“You don’t want to be Chicken Little. You don’t want to cry wolf. The FBI are going to pay more attention if we do call in with a real situation because the Pitt police don’t call them every day,” Delaney said.

If something warranting federal involvement does occur, Pitt police will still be directly involved in the coordination of a response involving fire departments, Hazmat teams, and any other service necessary.

“Someone coming onto campus may not know that the Chevron building is full of chemicals,” Delaney said.

Delaney also pointed out that there is no rigid plan. He explained that their plans must in large part be dictated by the situation itself. They have to be able to adjust to events, rather than simply having a set system of rules and reactions in place.

“I am comfortable with our plan,” he said. “And our plan must be flexible.”