Loyola University will issue a timely warning if deemed necessary because of an imminent or ongoing threat against the Loyola community. Loyola's Crisis Communications Plan (CCP) explains the process for issuing timely warnings. Timely warnings are typically issued for the following Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program (UCR)/National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) crime classifications: arson, aggravated assault, burglary, criminal homicide, motor vehicle theft, robbery, and sexual assault. 

Loyola’s Department of Public Safety is responsible for determining whether an incident is an imminent or ongoing threat to the health and safety of the university community that necessitates immediate dissemination of a timely warning or emergency notification (i.e., Greyhound Alerts). The purpose of sending Greyhound Alerts is to inform the campus community so they can take action to protect themselves.

Imminent or ongoing threats include but are not limited to:

• Certain types of police emergencies like active threats.

• Emergencies that require unplanned evacuations and area avoidance, like a chemical spill.

• Emergencies that require an unplanned shelter-in-place.

• Weather emergencies not addressed by the inclement weather team, like tornado alerts.

 

Timely warnings are for confirmed Clery crimes that have occurred within our Clery boundaries and are imminent or ongoing threats. This means a Clery crime has occurred and is still a serious threat because it has not been contained or controlled, so we must inform the campus community. We do not send timely warnings if the threat has been remedied to the point that our campus is safe, no matter how significant the crime may have been.

For example, if an armed robbery occurs near campus but the suspect is immediately arrested, an alert does not have to be sent because there is no ongoing threat. However, if the suspect flees onto campus and is not apprehended, we must send an alert because the suspect poses a threat to the campus community.

Also note that a timely warning usually contains more preventative information than an emergency notification.

 

Emergency notifications provide a broader category than those used for timely warnings since they can be sent for non-Clery crimes and other types of incidents that pose an imminent or ongoing threat (e.g., a hazardous materials release or tornado alert).

 

When there is an immediate or ongoing threat to the university community, the patrol supervisor, a designee, or dispatch personnel will immediately notify the Associate Director of Support Operations and Clery Compliance. The Associate Director of Support Operations and Clery Compliance will draft the appropriate Greyhound Alert and make notifications to the Director of Public Safety as appropriate. If the threat to campus safety is confirmed, a Greyhound Alert will be sent. If the Associate Director of Support Operations and Clery Compliance cannot send the alert, the Director of Public Safety will send the alert to the community. If Public Safety’s ability to send alerts is compromised, Marketing and Communications (MarComm) designee will be notified to send the alert. If the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is activated for a crisis, follow-up messages will be sent by MarComm after Public Safety sends the initial messages alerting the community.

Timely warnings for the Leuven campus are typically distributed by on-site administrators via email to ensure the warning is timely.