Buffalo State President Katherine Conway-Turner emailed Buffalo State students about Tuesday night’s armed robbery. Conway-Turner’s entire email can be found below:

To All Members of the Buffalo State Community,

Last night, we were again alerted to a troubling incident, a robbery near Upton Hall shortly before 9:00 p.m., which has elevated concerns about the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. The safety of our entire campus community is my top priority and the top priority of my colleagues in the President’s Cabinet and the University Police Department. We all understand the unease this has caused, and we are working to address your concerns in multiple ways.
I would like to frame this update to you in three sections: actions we have taken to date; new initiatives; and a reminder about safety measures already in place.

Actions Taken
— Since my last message to you on September 14 (http://kateconwayturner.tumblr.com/post/129093096081/campus-safety), I am pleased to report that University Police has made significant progress in the investigation of the armed robbery in Tower 3 on September 13. In addition, it is important to note that UPD has arrested the suspect in the attempted sexual assault case that occurred August 28, and arrested the suspect involved in the altercation in front of the Student Apartment Complex on September 6. The arrests and the progress in the Tower 3 investigation are a direct result of the diligent work of our University Police staff, and most importantly, the cooperation and assistance of the campus community. If you have any information about the incident Tuesdaynight near Upton Hall, please call UPD at (716) 878-6333 or the UPD Confidential Tip Line at (716) 878-3166.
— University Police has increased patrols throughout the campus.
— On September 15, University Police Chief Peter Carey and Residence Life Director Michael Heflin met with United Students Government (USG) to listen to student concerns and share information about safety measures and programs available to members of the campus community.
— On September 20, I invited USG President Derek Jorden to join me on a walk through campus and the residence halls (http://kateconwayturner.tumblr.com/post/129649403796/strolling-the-halls-of-student-housing) to get a personal sense for how our students were handling the events of the previous few weeks. I was able to have many conversations with students who were going about their normal activities.
— Our Residence Life staff held floor meetings with students to review safety practices and building security procedures. Residence Life staff members continue to be vigilant about checking IDs as students enter residence halls after swiping their key fobs to unlock doors.

New Initiatives
— University Police has increased bicycle and foot patrols across the campus. On these patrols, our officers will proactively engage in conversations with our students, faculty, and staff to hear directly from you about your ideas to improve safety on our campus. Please share your thoughts and concerns with the officers.
— We will collaborate with United Students Government to hold a town hall meeting to address student, faculty, and staff safety concerns on Sunday, October 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall.  I will be joined by Vice President for Student Affairs Hal Payne, University Police Chief Peter Carey, Vice President for Finance and Management Michael LeVine, and USG student leaders to respond to your questions, concerns, and ideas.
— I encourage all members of the campus community to share your ideas about ways we can improve campus safety by sending an e-mail to [email protected] . These ideas will be shared with members of the President’s Cabinet, the college’s Campus Safety Forum, and the Community Policing Advisory Committee.

Established Safety Programs
— University Police offers safe escort programs to the campus community throughout the day and night. You can request a walking companion to your car or residence hall anytime by calling University Police at 878-6333 (extension 6333 from a campus landline phone) or from a blue-light phone. An overnight escort shuttle van operates from 4:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. seven days a week when classes are in session and provides late-night service to all parking lots and most buildings. To catch this free evening shuttle, wait at a blue-light phone along the route. More information about this service is available at http://police.buffalostate.edu/safeescort.
— If for any reason you feel unsafe while walking on campus, do not hesitate to use one of our 43 blue-light phones (http://police.buffalostate.edu/blue-light-phones) to alert University Police to your situation.
— Additional safety tips are available online at http://police.buffalostate.edu/safetymeasures.

In Conclusion
These incidents have been distressing to all of us. However, I remain encouraged by the spirit and the collective power of our Buffalo State community. As we continue to work together, we enable students, faculty, and staff to focus on their studies, teaching, research, and professional responsibilities. We remain dedicated to providing our students with a high-quality college education within a safe environment.

Sincerely,

Katherine Conway-Turner
President
Buffalo State College