President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr presented The Ohio State University Police Division Officer Alan Horujko with the 2019 Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor at a White House ceremony Wednesday.
Horujko took action to stop a violent car and knife attack on the Columbus campus in November 2016. The award for Horujko is the highest national award for valor presented to a public safety officer.
“Thanks to Alan, not a single innocent person died that day. Officer Horujko, we are forever grateful,” Trump said.
The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) will honor fallen officer Michael Blankenship as part of National Police Week. Blankenship was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 10, 1997. The public is invited to attend a Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony on Friday, May 17 at 3 p.m. outside Blankenship Hall. In addition to recognizing Officer Blankenship’s sacrifice, the ceremony will honor all officers killed in the line of duty.
A Buckeye Alert system test will occur on Thursday (5/16). Students, faculty and staff on all Ohio State campuses will receive a text message that will be clearly identified as a test. If a Buckeye Alert is issued, information will also be posted at emergency.osu.edu . The system also sends severe weather alerts to the entire university community for tornado warnings. More information about alert notices is available here .
Light Ohio Blue is a statewide campaign to show support to the law enforcement personnel who protect our communities in Central Ohio and throughout our great state. Show your support by witnessing a Law Enforcement Caravan on Wednesday (5/8). Police cruisers from local agencies will join OSUPD and travel through campus from 7:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Buckeyes are encouraged to gather along Woody Hayes Drive, north of Ohio Stadium. Please expect brief traffic delays.
Following up on a recent feature by A&P Communications ( watch video ), The Lantern sat down with Ohio State dispatch supervisor Johnna Sells.
As the newspaper reported, w hile police officers and firefighters are often on the frontlines of an emergency, it’s 911 dispatchers who serve as the first point of contact when a person on campus is in trouble. And the role Sells serves at Ohio State reaches far beyond answering a call.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t feel like I’m making a difference in the community,” she said....
In a dataset of University Police responses from Aug. 6, 2018, to Dec. 20, 2018, obtained by The Lantern , 17,671 dispatch entries of all police calls were analyzed, finding that University Police took an average of 3 minutes and 34 seconds to arrive on scene after being dispatched.
The outlet interviewed Captain David Rose who said 3 1/2 minutes is about what the police have found when analyzing the data themselves.
“That’s pretty consistent with what we’ve seen as well,” Rose said, who noted the police aim for around 4 minutes. “Four minutes or...
As a campus 9-1-1 dispatch center supervisor, Johnna Sells usually deals with people on the worst day of their life.
"We are the central answering point for any type of emergency on campus," Sells said.
Sells is following in the footsteps of her father, a retired sheriff’s deputy, who she calls her hero. She brings a unique perspective to the agency often serving as a Spanish translator.
Watch the video to learn how Sells continues to make a difference every day.
Taking the helm of the Ohio State University Police Department doesn’t allow much time to breathe. The number of events and people on campus week-to-week keeps the department on its toes and busy at all times. Read More .
The Ohio State University Police Division trains countless hours to be prepared for emergency situations such as an active attacker. This week, OSUPD assisted the College of Medicine at an emergency drill for medical students, residents and medical staff.
As Fox28 Columbus reported, medical students and residents became the simulated victims, and caregivers, all at once — while facing down a ficticious gunman shooting loud, blank rounds from a handgun.
"It's very different. You definitely feel the adrenaline running," second-year grad student Travis Sharkey told the news outlet.
The Ohio State University's Community Police Academy is no longer the best kept secret on campus thanks to Lantern reporter Jasmine Hilton who participated in the four-week course earlier this month. In an article published March 21, Hilton summarized what to expect quoting fellow classmates like Kilea White, a second-year in criminology and criminal justice
“We’re learning the insight into the job and more technicalities that you wouldn’t see on television.” White told The Lantern. “It’s the things that you don’t always see out in public.”
The Community Police Academy offers Ohio State students and...
