• Campus Security Emphasized in Tense Times
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    Campus Security Emphasized in Tense Times

    The night before the United States went to war in Iraq, a UCSB police officer found a five-gallon plastic jug about 1/8th full of an unknown, yellow-green liquid near an elevator in the Student Affairs Administrative Services Building. Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S) experts removed the container and later judged the liquid to be gasoline.
    "We determined that there were volatile vapors coming from the liquid and assumed that it was flammable, but saw no heightened hazard for our chemical waste staff," said Bruce Hanley, bio-safety officer for EH&S. "The UCPD officers made the call whether this was a criminal act on some level, or simply negligence."
    In a March 21 message to the campus, Chancellor Henry Yang acknowledged that "heightened concern about homeland security" on campus has resulted in increased presence of uniformed police officers and the frequency of patrols. He also noted that "key campus units have developed plans to work with county, state, and federal agencies to help ensure the safety [of community members and visitors] in the event of an emergency."
    While police and EH&S personnel are among those investing extra time to expand security on campus, sources of information are available to individuals seeking ways to enhance their personal and family security. Go to the UCSB home page <www.ucsb.edu> and click on "Campus Resources and Responsibilities in a Time of War" under Campus Topics.
    In addition to links to emergency phone numbers, bioterrorism and emergency preparedness measures (including building evacuation plans), and counseling resources for employees and students, there also are links to UC's page for homeland security. The UC Education Abroad Program and Washington Center have their own links.
    Personal messages on the page from the chancellor, Vice Chancellor Michael Young, and UC President Richard Atkinson also emphasized the importance of treating opposing views with respect and civility.