Kean Police Department secures campus in wake of false alarms

By Cody Louie

Kean University police responded to three reports of suspicious packages on campus, with the latest occurring on Oct. 13 which led to the evacuation of the Green Lane Building.

A suspicious package was found near the Union train station around 10 a.m. on Oct. 13 when authorities decided to evacuate the building. The Union County Bomb Squad deemed the situation safe about an hour later, and the campus returend to normal operations, a campus alert said.

Another suspicious package was found near Willis Hall on Sept. 24. The suspicious package was a shoebox, according to an email sent out by University Relations.

“The caller said she was handed a box by a stranger who then got on the Kean Trolley,” said Ana A. Zsak, Director of the Kean PD.

With the assistance of the Union County Bomb Squad the package was investigated and found to be a non-explosive device. Further investigation revealed that “it was a simple misunderstanding,” explained Zsak.

The third occurrence was also reported through the police dispatch. A suspicious package was seen outside Whiteman Hall. The description given was that it had “a battery and wires”.

After investigation the package was deemed safe and was later found to be “material left behind by a university facilities crew member, who planned to retrieve it,” said Zsak.

All of the incidents were resolved in about an hour. Though the campus is not on high alert, Zsak emphasized that it is important to realize that “these incidents serve as good reminders to the Campus Community to be alert and aware of our surroundings.”

With all of the recent events that have taken place at and near Kean, it is nice to know that students can feel safe going to and from class.

“We appreciate the continued support from the community and the community’s continued efforts in maintaining a safe campus, ” Zsak stated.

Students can get information sent directly to their phones about a number of things such as security issues, shutdowns, and closures. In order to sign up for this service go to www. kean.edu/campusalert for more information.

Students can also contact the Kean Police Department at their 24-hour communications center at (908)-737-4800 for emergencies, inquiries and assistance.