Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Writer
Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Three Rivers College has been named as one of the top ten safest college campuses in the state of Missouri for the second year in a row. The website, StateUniversity.com ranks the safety of colleges and universities in the U.S., based on incidents of campus crime as reported by campus safety officials.
“Protecting the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors is of utmost importance, especially in light of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, President of Three Rivers College. “We must be effective in planning and prevention and, should there be an incident on campus, we must have effective protocol in place for response and recovery. The Campus Safety and Security Department is doing an excellent job in leading our college safety and security initiatives.”
Chuck Stratton, Acting Chief of Campus Safety and Security, credits the entire Three Rivers community with the continued success of the college’s public safety initiatives.
“Even though this award highlights our department, helping keep our campus safe is everyone’s job,” said Stratton. “This recognizes not only our officers, but the efforts of staff and students as well. We’re only the facilitators.”
In addition to Campus Safety’s initiatives, Student Services at Three Rivers uses an emergency alert system through which warning voice mails, emails and text messages can automatically be sent to students and employees.
“The support we get from the entire campus and the administration plays a big role in our success,” said Stratton. “Whenever we've proposed additional training or more officers to be added to our staff, we've always been met with a positive response. I’m also extremely proud of my entire staff, both the full-time and reserve officers.”
“Campus safety and security has always been a priority for me,” Stephenson said. “That's the very reason I created a department of public safety at Three Rivers College. On any given day, our campus population is larger than many Missouri towns, and it is our duty to do everything possible to ensure the safety of our people.”
The latest campus security report is available for review online at trcc.edu/publicsafety. Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
