# MCTC is a safe place for students

In recent stories there has been reports about a student going on campus at their school with a gun and start to open fire, either in the classroom or somewhere else on campus. MCTC has been a safe place to come to school, where the public safety are there to keep the campus safe from any violence that may take place. According to Curt Schmidt, Director of Public Safety, “ We work with the Minneapolis Police Department to element threats to the college.” Throughout the school semesters MCTC host different safety drills. For example: As part of the National Severe weather week which usually is in April (the Spring Semester) we do a tornado drill that usually last for about 10- 15 minutes, and in the fall we do a different lockdown drill where the school would be locked- down in case of an emergency. Lynn Coffey, Psychology/Social Science Professor said in an interview, “If I was in a situation where someone open fired in my classroom I would take cover, and make sure that each of my students would not be harmed, and I would not run to the door first but make sure each of my students get out safe.”

MCTC has a very good and well trained Public Safety staff where they know what to do in that case. If an intruder comes on campus one of the Public Safety Staff would get on the intercom to report that an intruder is on campus, and that everyone should lock-down for the safety of the school. Coffey expressed as a psychology professor, “some evidence of what an invader does is by mental illness,” she said, “I also want to clarify that a small amount of people with mental illness are violent.” We can’t judge all the people who have mental illness to be violent. Coffey than stated, “I would make sure that all my student who have cell phones to have public safeties number added to their contacts just in case of emergency.” In these cases many students are not aware of the number to public safety. Schmidt stated, “Public Safety officers do not carry guns, or tasters, but they do have a baton, pepper spray that they do carry along with handcuffs.” We as students need to not do any harm to our fellow students or teachers at MCTC, we need to provide a safe school to where everyone can come and learn and feel safe knowing that they can come to school and feel safe with public safety and along as with the feeling of safety in the classroom. Many people are not sure how to react if there was an intruder in their class, the first thing that they would think of is to panic, but the advice that Coffey gives, “is to try and remain calm, it’s easy to get afraid. We need to do our best and think clearly.” Coffey and Schmidt both said, “If an intruder is ever present in a classroom or on campus you need to get out and call for help right away “If a public safety officer has to do a civil arrest they have the right to do so then they would contact the local police department to than have them come and deal with the individual. Schmidt stated, “we get the Minneapolis police department involved only if its a big crime and law breaking,” he said, “if a student, faculty, of MCTC employee is caught bringing a gun on campus when they’re doing their duties, they would have to go through the right discipline areas to conduct an investigation of the incident.

Abiding by the rules of the campus and of the law we all can keep MCTC safe from all devastating incidents regarding the campus community, and all the people in MCTC to let us know that we don’t need to be afraid to come and do sour duties as students, staff, or an employee.