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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Lincoln University's police chief says safety is everybody's concern for its Centennial Homecoming tradition. The department is using multiple forms of technology to keep those attending homecoming events safe, along with more than 600 Flock security cameras across campus. The campus uses the RAVE Guardian app, which allows users to directly message campus police. Chief Gary Hill said the Flock cameras are also fitted with gunshot detection. To celebrate 100 years, the university has held a number of events throughout the week, like a talent show on Tuesday and a DJ battle on Wednesday. On Friday night, there will be a Centennial Masked Ball benefitting student scholarships at 5:30 p.m. in Jason Hall and a Homecoming Step Show at 8:00 p.m. at The LINC recreational center. The festivities continue into Saturday with a homecoming parade at 9 a.m., followed by the homecoming football game against Truman State University at 2 p.m.. A concert will follow at The LINC at 8 p.m. Saturday. The RAVE Guardian works along with the university's RAVE Alert system. Hill said faculty, staff and students can download it to their phone. "The Guardian, they can say they're going to leave a building and they can hit this button and it will tell us that," Hill said. "An alarm will go off here in our dispatch area, and then we'll call them and say 'Hey, we just received the Guardian alert from you. Are you okay?'" The RAVE Alert system allows university officials to push out important messages campus-wide. "If we have an active shooter situation, weather alerts and things like that, any kind of emergency situation, we're able to push that out to people's cellphones and that comes across your email as well," Hill said. The safety plan also includes a multi-agency effort from state, county and local law enforcement. Hill said 14 county deputies are among the extra personnel being brought in. Hill said the goal with having multiple agencies on site is prevention through presence. The university has also brought in 20 outside staffers to handle traffic and security. "They'll be working the metal detectors and making sure to secure the doors to make sure no one's trying to get in for free or anything like that," Hill said. Even with the use of technology to keep homecoming goers safe, Hill says safety is also as simple as saying something to law enforcement if you see something or someone that raises concern.
