There was an ‘unsubstantiated’ bomb threat on campus last night
But there was no FSU Alert
Around 11:30 last night, Dirac was evacuated and cars were directed away from Stadium Drive, as students were told by FSUPD that they were “clearing [that] side of campus.” When asked this morning what happened, a dispatcher told The Tab “it was nothing.” It was only when they were pressed for information that it was revealed there was an “unsubstantiated” bomb threat on the West side of campus and there was “no need” for an FSU Alert because the situation was “over so fast.”
This isn’t the first time students have failed to be warned of dangerous or potentially dangerous situations on campus. When students are made aware of threats, it is sometimes several hours or days after the fact.
On April 21st, FSU alerted students to an armed robbery that had happened more than a day earlier, with no warning of the situation at the time.
Likewise, in October 2016, Sylvester Stallone’s younger half brother was hospitalized after a brutal assault on Stadium Drive, and students were unaware of it until almost two days later.
And, let’s not forget the day two consecutive FSU Alerts were sent out warning of a dangerous and hazardous condition on campus, only to find out later the confusion was due to a system glitch.
FSUPD is responsible for keeping our school safe, and that includes warning us of impending danger on or around campus. In the wake of recent attacks, it’s especially important that students be made aware of any possible threats as soon as they are made known to the police.
Even though the bomb threat turned out to be phony, if it was serious enough to warrant evacuations and an altered traffic pattern, it was serious enough for an FSU Alert, however vague. It’s likely that they refrained from sending out an alert to avoid panic, however, students deserved to know there was a developing situation on campus and to avoid the area.