The University issued a statement yesterday describing heightened security measures after a rising number of parents, students and community members asked about its response to the increased national terrorist alert level. The statement was not a response to a specific threat, said Charles Kalmbach '68, vice president for administration.
The government raised the alert level to "orange" last Friday, indicating a high risk of terrorist attack. On Tuesday, FBI Director Robert Mueller '66 said universities could be targets.
The posting of the statement on the University website and the new measures represent an ongoing effort by the University's Emergency Preparedness Task Force, a group of senior administrators formed after Sept. 11, 2001, to ensure the security of students, faculty and staff, said Kalmbach, who chairs the task force. The task force met Wednesday and decided to release the statement.
The statement urged students, faculty and staff to be attentive and said the University was increasing overall security measures, including adding more Public Safety patrols. Its main purpose was to be informative, Kalmbach said. The statement linked to information about University safety and preparedness guidelines.
Mueller testified Tuesday before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about remaining terrorist threats to the United States.
Heightened measures
"Multiple small-scale attacks against soft targets, such as banks, shopping malls, supermarkets, apartment buildings, schools and universities, churches and places of recreation and entertainment," he said, "would be easier to execute and would minimize the need to communicate with the central leadership, lowering the risks of detection."
Kalmbach said the University hasn't received much information from the government but is still trying to be "vigilant."
"Given the uncertain and nonspecific nature of the comments from Washington," he said, "we have very little to go on."
Public Safety increased the number of patrols several weeks ago, before Friday's notice, Kalmbach said. He said this is one security measure among several. He declined to name others, though he said non-electronic "surveillance and security on our campus" has increased. None of these measures has been introduced since Friday's alert, he said.
In the heightened security environment, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory follows the security guidelines of the Department of Energy, which funds the project, said Tony DeMeo, a spokesman for the laboratory.
"We're under contract with the government. Everything's defined by the DOE. We're a DOE national laboratory," he said. He declined to describe the security guidelines, except that "to gain admission to the laboratory, a person would have to present a government-issued ID."
At the molecular biology lab, Michael Federicks, the director of health and safety, said he's taking no new measures but continuing to maintain tight security and safety procedures.
'Vigilance'
Last Friday, Public Safety informed the campus community about the higher alert status by email. Barry Weiser, Public Safety's crime prevention specialist, told The Daily Princetonian on Tuesday that members of the community should be "conscious of their surroundings."
Borough Police Lt. John Reading also told the 'Prince' on Tuesday that authorities were being more "vigilant."
Kalmbach doesn't expect many routine statements.
"As the chairman," he said, "I will continue to update this as is relevant. If the volume of concern from our constituencies changes, either in number or in specific questions, then we'll respond as appropriate. If it gets to a point where we want to get specific, we'll send a note out directly to people."
A date and time was appended to the statement so visitors to the website would know how recent the news was, said Lauren Robinson-Brown '85, University director of communications.
The increased patrols will make Public Safety readjust its priorities, Kalmbach said, as it isn't going to hire more officers.
"We're trying to be very careful about our resources," he said, so Public Safety has to "put off other things they are doing."
Steven Healy, the director of Public Safety, couldn't be reached last night.
Last fall, anthrax-laden mail passed through the University area, about 75 miles south of the terrorist attacks in New York.
In an interview with the 'Prince' last summer, Mueller expressed confidence that the FBI would find the culprit, though it hasn't yet.
"Do I expect to find the person responsible? Yes," he said in August. "When? I can't tell you."
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