C.O. schools take another look at campus security

Student safety is a top priority at Central Oregon Community College, officials say. That means officials plan for the worst — and hope it never happens.

For many students, the shock of yet another college shooting has worn off.

“I mean, you never want to hear it happen,” COCC student Martine Marquez said Monday.

Still, school shootings are something many students are all too familiar with.

“I guess it’s America’s thing now,” Marquez said.

Some say it crosses their minds in class. They think, “What if?”

“Yeah, in the science building. I thought about it in particular there, because there are so many windows,” said OSU-Cascades student Kelsey Peters. “Even if you tried to hide, you’d be exposed,”.

However, even though last week’s tragedy struck another Oregon community college, many students at COCC don’t think it could happen on their campus. Students who spoke to NewsChannel 21 say they feel safe.

It’s campus public safety’s job to prepare for unwanted violence either way.

“This isn’t something that we started Thursday morning. This is something we’ve done for years here, you know, for something we hope never happens,” said Jim Bennett, interim director of public safety.

Last year, the college along with partner agencies held an active shooter drill. COCC also has a risk assessment team that reviews people who might pose a threat.

There are one to four officers on campus at a given time. However, they are not armed. Bennett says there are no immediate plans to change that, but it’s a topic that is constantly revisited.