The Legacy of Lauren Spierer - University of Tennessee at ......I would have said a student death is...
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3/26/2015 1 JOHN SUMMERLOT INDIANA UNIVERSITY The Legacy of Lauren Spierer: Best Practices for Missing Students Overview of disappearance of Lauren Spierer The search for Lauren Researching Best Practices Types of “missing” students 4 Phases of consideration Additional notes and resources Time for questions Agenda
Transcript of The Legacy of Lauren Spierer - University of Tennessee at ......I would have said a student death is...
3/26/2015
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JOHN SUMMERLOTINDIANA UNIVERSITY
TheLegacyofLaurenSpierer:BestPracticesforMissingStudents
Overview of disappearance of Lauren Spierer
The search for Lauren
Researching Best Practices
Types of “missing” students
4 Phases of consideration
Additional notes and resources
Time for questions
Agenda
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Uptoayearago,Iwouldhavesaidastudentdeathisthetoughestthingwedealwith.Now,Isayamissingstudent.
Becausethereisjustnoendandnoprotocol.
Dr.PeteGoldsmithDeanofStudents,IndianaUniversity
2012
A 20 year old, junior at IU, living off campus, from New York.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, just under five feet tall, about 90 lbs.
OverviewofLauren’sdisappearance
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Friday she is reported missing to Bloomington Police
Saturday her parents fly in from New York
Sunday night the Dean of Students sends out notice to student affairs and auxiliary staff
Monday, organized searches of neighborhood begins, Indianapolis media starts coverage, 300‐400 volunteers, run out of a closed coffee shop near her apartment
By Wednesday, national media are covering it, social media is trending, 1000 volunteers a day, national law enforcement consultants are on site
By Friday, something resembling unified command is established, “too big” for just volunteers
By Monday, search headquarters is moved to campus, restrictions placed on volunteers
Search continues 14 more days
Searchtimeline
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“Lifewillneverbenormalagain.”– EricBehrman
Jurisdictional issues
Support, finance, logistics issues
Politics
Backlash
Lack of SAR knowledge
Lack of knowledge of additional resources
Wedothisallthetimeright?
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Networking former colleagues and grad students to get an “in”
Conversations, meetings, and emails with Deans, Chiefs, VPs, and others
Notes, notes, notes
Now what stands out?
What can SAR search philosophy tell us about looking for a missing student?
Lettheresearchbegin
“Abducted” vs “lost” vs “missing”
Overdue vs no idea
Local vs non‐local
Who reported to?
Despondant or high risk?
Student vs non‐student (camper, guest, faculty, etc)
Typesof“missing”
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Where to start?
Point Last Seen (PLS)
Last Known Point (LKP)
Check list of possible tracking points Who has access to what information and when?
Examples: meal plan, card access, campus debit, parking pass/garage, email, computer log on, campus wi‐fi logs, fitness facility, class attendance, bursar account, social media, security cameras, athletic tickets, student conduct records, health center records, counseling center records, parent contact info
Who has access to the list?
Phase1– InitialResponse
Information Campaign
Emails, website, social media
Posters, flyers, people on the street
Message to incoming students and parents
Searching beyond PLS/LKP Who searches where on campus? Has Access?
Who manages campus search?
Who searches the campus fringe space? (golf course, nature preserve, farm land, etc.)
Phase2– ExpandedResponse
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Finance and Logistics Costs
Physical space for resources (operations center, housing, dining, vehicles, etc.)
Student Support Counseling and spiritual support
Vigils, events, anniversary, Sites (physical and electronic)
Allowing students to control their own response
Phase3– ContinuedSupport
When do you scale back?
Never a good time to do it.
Be honest. Be intentional. Be conscious of wording.
What is left?
Unused resources
People who won’t or can’t let go (be prepared for counseling, connection, etc.)
Legacy? Memorials and anniversaries
Phase4– Demobilizing
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Make list of electronic tracking points
Know who searches what areas of campus and how you confirm it
Know your resources (on and off campus)
Mock exercise?
BeingPrepared
Translators
ROTC, SAR, CERT, emergency management course students
Student affairs staff with intimate knowledge of student group behavior and who can help students “be real”
Social media is a search multiplier
Web presence
Prominent people, high visibility
Additional public relations staff
UniqueCampusResources:
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24 or 48 hour waiting period (Suzanne’s Law, 2003)
It is a law enforcement issue, not a college issue
We can’t help legally
There isn’t anything we can do
Misconceptions
John Summerlot
Office: 812‐855‐3549
Cell: 812‐219‐5903
