TALLAHASSEE, Fla – Four days after a gunman unleashed terror at Florida State University, an online petition for school safety has garnered more than 30,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon.
The Change.org petition urges school officials to install locks on all classroom doors, after many FSU students reported being unable to lock their doors when they were hiding in lockdown.
South Florida college students have seen the petition, and some have shared it online.
“I think we should have them if we don’t already,” said Tiffany Mitchell, a student at Florida International University.
FIU Police Chief Alex Casas told Local 10 News that the petition has merit, but campus security can be complicated in a big university that’s open to the public, like FIU and FSU.
“Locking doors should be one layer in what is a multi-layered response to campus safety,” Casas said. “That by itself isn’t always a solution because what we don’t always realize is having the ability to lock a door from the inside in a location that’s publicly accessible could create other safety issues.”
The University of Miami had not responded to Local 10’s request for information about door locks as of Monday afternoon, but has an active shooter protocol spelled out online, as does NOVA Southeastern University.
Casas said colleges and universities typically don’t release specifics on security measures and law enforcement personnel for safety reasons.
“You’re safe here at FIU,” Casas said. “But understanding the environment we’re working in, the environment we’re living in, I still need you to be aware of your environment and your surroundings. And let us know when something makes you uncomfortable so we can start the process of response.”