A public safety alert was sent to the TCU community Friday, Feb. 13, that warned students about “tailgating” into residence halls, but did not specify whether a security incident prompted the message.
An email from the TCU emergency alert system regarding “tailgating” into residence halls. (Screenshot courtesy of Brody Gates)
The email cautioned that allowing unauthorized individuals to enter residence halls can pose threats, and they urged students to use their own access cards and report suspicious activity.
Tailgating was defined in the alert as allowing someone to enter a residence hall without using their own proximity card.
“When someone bypasses that process, it undermines the security measures in place to keep our community safe,” according to the email.
The Jeanne Clery Act, which was passed in 1990, requires schools that receive federal funding to report campus crimes and issue warnings in a timely manner about potential threats. The act was put in place after investigations revealed that some schools had not been transparent about campus crimes.
The law was named after Jeanne Clery, a student who was fatally attacked in her residence hall at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in 1986. The act promotes widespread attention to campus safety and official transparency.
Because the email did not directly reference a specific event, some students have questioned whether it was issued as a routine reminder or in response to an incident.
Some students were unsure of how seriously to interpret the email against their own understanding of politeness.
“I was taught to be gentleman and to show respect through small acts of kindness, like holding the door for someone, especially for a woman,” Jack Cooper, a sophomore business information systems major, said. “While I understand the university’s concern for safety, being asked to avoid something I see as basic courtesy feels uncomfortable and at odds with my personal values.”
TCU360 contacted the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Public Safety, Adrian Andrews, to clarify whether the message was prompted by a recent incident. Andrews had not responded to a request for a comment as of publication.
The TCU Police Department Sergeant of Criminal Investigations Robert Abbott was also contacted and declined to comment without approval from Holly Ellman, the associate director of communication for TCU News.
Ellman has not responded to any request at the time of publication.
This is an ongoing story.