Lang
6/8/20
In light of recent protests involving vandalism and scuffles with police on and near the University if Iowa campus, some local residents have asked who no Hawk Alerts have been issued by the school. UI Police have a simple answer: Nothing has led to the level of threat needed to activate the service.
According to the UI web site, the Hawk Alert system is used to notify the campus community of threats to physical safety in emergency situations. It contacts UI students, faculty, and staff by mobile phone, home phone, office phone, and e-mail, using contact information provided to the university.
In an email to KCJJ, a UI Assistant Director of Media relations Hayley Bruce says on-campus protests are a common occurrence, and despite some vandalism, none of the protesters’ actions posed “an immediate threat to the health or safety of students and employees”.
Bruce admits the department has been prepared for the possibility of issuing a Hawk Alert, but none of the protests so far have included reports of violence.
The most hostile moments of the last week were Wednesday night when Iowa City Police and State Patrol troopers fired flash bangs and gas canisters at protesters on North Dubuque Street as they were trying to make their way to Interstate 80.