One of The Ohio State University's best safety resources received regional honors this week. The university's Surviving an Active Aggressor video ( watch ), produced in 2018, won an Ohio Valley Chapter Emmy award in the category of Short Format Program - Informational.
The award was one of six received by WOSU Public Media who produced the 9-minute educational video. OSUPD Officer Cassi Shaffer was among the award recipients for her role as the narrator. Fellow team members receiving the award included WOSU's Ben Bays, Diana Bergemann, Ryan Hitchcock and Gary Orr along with Ohio State Administration...
Students at The Ohio State University Columbus campus have a new late-night travel option. Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State will launch August 1, and provides discounted rides between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
"This new service offering is a direct result of our work with the Undergraduate Student Government and adds a transportation option our students have been requesting for years," said Beth Snoke, director of Transportation and Traffic Management.
Lyft Ride Smart replaces the university's previous Safe Ride program after user demand outgrew service capacity.
We are sharing the below information on behalf of the Columbus Division of Police for a crime that occurred in the off-campus area.
Two incidents occurred off-campus during the early morning hours of Sunday, July 28. At approximately 4:30 a.m., a female not affiliated with Ohio State was sleeping in her vehicle behind a home on E. 16th Ave when an unknown male entered the car. She reported that he made sexual advances, demanding that the female remove her shirt. He then began touching her legs. She exited the vehicle and the man...
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 on May 22.
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.
