Kansas community and technical colleges safety and security directors preparation for campus active shooters: a thematic analysis study
Date
2018
Authors
Gillum, Danny, author
Gloeckner, Gene, advisor
Kuk, Linda, committee member
Quick, Don, committee member
Hall, Bruce, committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
The concern over firearms violence and active shooters on campus is unfortunately not a new concept. The violence with firearms on higher education campuses continues killing and injuring student's faculty and staff (International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, 2008). Even with the continuation and at times escalation of these active shooter events on campuses the focus of enhancing the campus security and training falls on the shoulders of the campus safety and security directors and the administration of the institutions. The Kansas Legislature passed a law in 2013 allowing conceal carry on college campuses. In 2006, the Kansas Legislature passed a law requiring conceal carry training for all Kansas citizens; however, in 2013, the Kansas Legislature passed the constitutional carry law where no one aged 21 or older needs training, they can simply carry a concealed weapon (Kansas Legislature, 2013). The purpose of this qualitative thematic analysis study was to explore the experiences, attitudes, and understandings of campus safety and security directors concerning their preparedness for active shooters at Kansas community and technical colleges. Qualitative thematic analysis approach was selected for this study from Gibson and Brown (2009). In accordance with the analysis of interpretative phenomenological approach patterns, trends and themes that emerged from safety and security directors' responses. These responses were drawn from in-depth detailed interviews from individual safety and security director's experiences, attitudes and understandings of the participants. The analysis of the data presented four super ordinate themes and thirteen subthemes. The themes ranged from training officers and personnel in general to state mandated training so that all campuses would have the same training. The four themes are as follows: Extensive Concerns Raised Regarding Kansas Conceal Carry and Constitutional Carry, The Need to Improve Essential Training for All Campus Personnel, The Training Challenge: Dealing with Limitations, and Best Practices for Campus Security and Active Shooter Prevention, Access to training through the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center is the most common request. Safety and Security Directors have concerns over allowing conceal carry on college campuses and preparing for the ripple effect across campus with classrooms and interaction with personnel on the campus. Campuses must adopt a proactive stance by creating student organizations to address concerns or create a sounding board for students. Enhanced capabilities to protect students, faculty, staff or community anonymity to enhance the information flow throughout campus. Campus safety and security departments must be visible as a deterrent to an active shooter and an integral part of any campus. Campus safety and security directors must take initiative, but more importantly, they must be allowed to enhance their officers' training opportunities. Rather than simply answering questions of "why and how something like this could happen," campus safety and security directors must educate their campuses as to active shooter situations: who to speak to, what to do if it happens, and where to go for assistance or give information.
Description
Rights Access
Subject
campus security
active shooter
Kansas community colleges