The university received a bomb threat to the Rincker Memorial Library the morning of Jan. 8, and the university has shared few other details.
The library was closed while Campus Safety and the Mequon Police Department completed a search.
Campus Safety was able to address the situation quickly in partnership with other law enforcement.
“Because within minutes, we were all in contact with the Department of Justice through the state, as well as our contacts within the FBI,” Officer Mike Stolte said.
Vice President for Student Success Dr. Elizabeth Polzin sent an email shortly after to the student body informing them of the incident, including giving an “all-clear” after no suspicious item was found.
Sophomore and library student worker Brenna Bennett said campus safety handled the incident well.
“I thought it was handled very well. I thought everyone was very courteous and very polite. They did a good job not freaking people out. They were very professional, kind, but firm,” Bennett said.
The university’s planning for an emergency event allowed for an organized response.
“We pull out our emergency operation plan, we follow our protocol, and that’s what we did in this case. Then we pull out our emergency communication. We say, ‘What do we need to communicate local law enforcement’s relationship with the university also helped the situation.'”
“Work is put into fostering those relationships during a non-emergent incident or time makes when there’s actually an emergency, go that much smoother. We regularly interact with Mequon PD,” Stolte said.
According to Officer Stolte, some officers have worked at the university for decades. Some current campus safety officers have served in a variety of positions before joining the university, including military, federal law enforcement, and local law enforcement.
According to Dr. Polzin, the university is very fortunate to have such a qualified Campus Safety Department that has a wide range of experience.
— Kirsten Harrington is a writer for The Beacon and a junior majoring in photography and minoring in Mass Communications. She works as a student photographer, taking photos at campus events.