Northern Illinois University’s response to the Feb. 14 shootings was superb, according to the Illinois Campus Security Task Force.

Representatives of the Task Force presented their findings to the Board of Trustees Thursday after an extensive evaluation of NIU’s response to the shootings.

Presenting were Michael Pelletier of the Division of Mental Health and Andrew Velasquez of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. Velasquez is also a security adviser to the governor.

The response of the University Police was “quick, efficient and well coordinated,” Velasquez said.

The first responding officer arrived 30 seconds after the shots were fired and an incident command unit was in place within 10 minutes, he said.

“NIU’s response represents an effective model for all hazard emergency planning, response and recovery on a higher education campus,” Velasquez said.

UP Chief Donald Grady was involved with the Task Force prior to Feb. 14, and his involvement immensely helped prepare the UP to react to the situation, Velasquez said.

“Many of the procedures had already been implemented, and they assisted in the response,” he said.

The lessons from the Task Force implemented by Grady prior to the shootings amplify the importance of the project, Velasquez said.

“NIU’s response serves to confirm the validity and importance of the Campus Security Task Force,” he said.

The Task Force also commended the NIU Office of Public Affairs for its efforts in working with media and getting the word out on NIU’s Web site immediately after the shootings.

Creating a positive campus environment is key in preventing further incidents, Pelletier said.
“It’s important to have a healthy campus culture; setting up violence prevention programs and threat assessment teams,” he said.

The Task Force was created by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in April 2007, shortly after the Virginia Tech shootings, in an effort to examine security issues on college campuses and develop recommendations to address those concerns, Velasquez said.

The CSTF is a coalition of over 75 different organizations from the response, mental health, legal and higher education communities.

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