Situation at YDC raises campus concern

Students received e-mails and Connect-ED alerts this past Tuesday warning that 15 juveniles were unaccounted for at the Bill E. Ireland Youth Development Campus.

Public Safety locked down Kilpatrick Education Center that afternoon in response to this news.

The boys left their compound but never left the YDC grounds. By that afternoon GCSU students were notified that the YDC had re-accounted for all juveniles.

“I honestly don’t think (the juveniles) would do anything anyway,” said junior Bethany Deskins. “If I were locked up behind barbed wire, I’d want out, too.”

Despite the e-mails, many students were not aware of the situation and the Connect-ED messages were late-coming.

Some students felt there was miscommunication surrounding Tuesday’s events as rumors began to spread throughout campus.

“I personally wasn’t shocked so much by what happened as I was about how the school responded to it. Students didn’t find out the danger of the situation until after it was ‘under control,’” said junior Courtney Manson.

“However, I am happy to know that everything was taken care of in a fairly timely manner.”

After the incident, Director of Public Safety Dave Groseclose sent out an e-mail after the incident to clear up any misconceptions.

“The lack of good information did, however, make for some tense moments,” Groseclose’s e-mail said. “The Department of Public Safety will use (Tuesday’s) incident as a opportunity for learning, teaching and improved preparation.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 4 2009. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry