The hostage situation at Dyersburg State Community College lastweek shook the community, but officials at The University ofMemphis say they have everything under control in the event asimilar situation happens here.
"We're probably ahead of the curve when it comes to thesesituations," said Bruce Harber, director of University of MemphisPolice Services. "I actually teach a class called Rapid Deploymentto High Risk Incidents at the Mid-South Training Institute."
Along with training officers in the class, Harber has twoofficers certified as hostage negotiators.
"Our patrol force is trained for these situations," Harber said."But we do work with the Memphis police as well, for we are toosmall to have our own tactical team."
The Memphis Police Department works closely with U of M policeofficers.
"We are a police department that has dealt with these kinds ofsituations for years," said LaTanya Able, MPD public informationofficer. "We'll deal with any crisis situation."
Able said the Memphis Police Department has plans worked outwith every major security force in Memphis.
"We consider every situation," she said. "These things canhappen anywhere, so any successful major police department shouldhave one, and we do."
For particularly grim situations, the Memphis chapter of theFederal Bureau of Investigation could be contacted.
"We have plans for addressing hostage situations," said GeorgeBolds, supervisory special with the FBI and media coordinator. "Butto my knowledge, we don't have a plan specifically geared towardThe University of Memphis. We train negotiators, and that wouldencompass training pretty much anywhere."
Bolds went on to explain the FBI's role in these situations.
"Initially if this would occur, campus police would be firstresponse as well as the city police force. We would get involved ifsomeone asked us to step in." Bolds said. "We would be contacted ifthere are implications that go beyond a straight hostagesituation."
It seems concerns about campus security among students have beenraised since the Dyersburg State incident Sept. 17, when HaroldKilpatrick Jr., 26, entered a pre-algebra class around 12:45 p.m.and took 13 hostages with what police believed to be a 9mmsemiautomatic and a hunting knife.
Kilpatrick released four of the hostages and two were woundedduring a shootout between police and Kilpatrick. He was fatallyshot when they heard gunfire.
Harber is confident that the campus police could handle this andother situations.
"We've been putting together a crisis management plan for the (Uof M) vice president," Harber said. "I teach officers from otheragencies about these situations, and I've carried it backhere."
