Message to Skidmore parents regarding campus lockdown
Dear Skidmore parent,
Below is a notice that I just sent to the Skidmore community about today’s events. First and foremost, we are all relieved that no member of our community has been harmed and the suspect is now in custody. I am proud of the way our Campus Safety as well as the New York State Police, Saratoga Springs Police, and other law enforcement agencies responded to the situation. It is clear that we have a strong safety net in place to keep your sons and daughters and our entire community safe.
That said, this is a reminder that the world is not an entirely safe place, regardless of the measures we take in advance to make it so. It also underscores the truly critical work we do with our students to prepare them not only to navigate the world but, more importantly, to make it a better place than they find it.
I can assure you that we will continue both to do all that we can to keep Skidmore a safe place for your young adults to live, learn, and grow and to encourage them to take what they learn here and do the same for their communities once they leave Saratoga Springs.
Sincerely,
Philip A. Glozbach
President, Skidmore College
Message to the Skidmore community
October 1, 2014
Early this morning, as part of our Skidmore Urgent Notification System, we alerted the campus to an active search conducted by police for a Level 3 sex offender who allegedly committed a sexual assault off campus. We put the campus on lockdown, and instructed students to remain in their rooms and closed the campus.
At approximately 8:30 a.m., we notified the campus that police had apprehended the suspect without incident. Shortly thereafter, we notified the campus that classes would resume. We reopened at 11:15 a.m.
At this time, we know the suspect was sought in connection with incidents that occurred off campus and did not include any member of the Skidmore community. This remains an active investigation. All are asked to stay out of the area of investigation, which includes the wooded areas around Falstaffs, Wilson Chapel, and North Broadway. Please contact Campus Safety (518-580-5566) if you notice any items that might be relevant to the investigation.
I want to acknowledge that the circumstances of an emergency situation can be upsetting. Please know that the Counseling Center (518-580-5555) and Health Services (518-580-5550) are available to those in need of support.
We invite the campus community to an open forum in Gannett Auditorium at 5 p.m. today for an update on the situation and a review of our emergency procedures. My 5 p.m. Fireside Chat will be rescheduled. Updates on the situation will be posted on the Skidmore website.
I am pleased that our procedures worked as designed, including our interactions with police. We thank the Saratoga Springs Police, the New York State Police and Skidmore College Campus Safety for their excellent work in this investigation. We appreciate the cooperation of members of the Skidmore community who provided critical information that led to the apprehension of the suspect.