Thursday, September 13, 2001

Fort Worth, TCU prepare to handle future violence
By James Zwilling
Staff Reporter

Fort Worth and TCU are prepared to handle any threats or violent incidents that may develop as a result of recent terrorists attacks, officials from the city of Fort Worth and TCU Police said Wednesday.

Gregg Dawson, emergency management coordinator for the city of Fort Worth, said the city is one of more than 300 U.S. cities that has participated in the government’s Weapons of Mass Destruction training program since 1998. The program allocated Fort Worth nearly $1.2 million in federal funds to train police and city officials to deal with crisis situations like Tuesday’s terrorist attacks on the United States, Dawson said.

J.C. Williams, assistant chief of TCU Police, said TCU has not had any reported disruptive incidents related to the terrorists attacks and does not anticipate any.

“(TCU Police) are on a higher alert, but we do not anticipate any problems,” Williams said.

The alert includes increased communication with the Fort Worth Police Department as well as other city agencies keeping TCU Police aware of any threats they may receive, Williams said.

Under the alert, TCU Police will monitor and evaluate any threats that may pose risks to the TCU community, Williams said.

Williams said TCU Police believe TCU is one of the safer places for people to be in Fort Worth.

“We have a great student body who are very supportive of each other,” he said. “So far, we have seen nothing but an outpouring of sympathy and concern for fellow students.”

John Schuster, a clinical psychologist at the TCU Counseling Center, said there are two types of threats that could result from Tuesday’s attacks.

“There are other terrorists out there who feel like they can get a little mileage out of threats,” Schuster said. “Then, there are just plain nuts out there who like to see people evacuated from buildings.”

Carol Thompson, department chair and associate professor of sociology and criminal justice, said threats could be the result of Americans’ tendencies to seek simple solutions and jump to conclusions.

“(Americans) want to exact revenge,” Thompson said. “But it may not become clear for a very long time who is actually responsible.”

Thompson said the effects of this terrorism and its consequential violence will be felt for a long time.

“Something fundamental in the world will take place (as a result of this violence) and it will have a profound impact on (Americans) as a country,” she said.

Thompson said that impact may be the feeling that although the United States is still standing strong as a nation, it has certainly been wounded.

James Zwilling
j.g.zwilling@student.tcu.edu