The RCMP has issued a campus-wide warning at UBC and launched an investigation after prank threats twice brought campus activity to a halt,
On Jan. 29 the Biological Sciences Building was locked down after someone phoned in a “threat.” On Feb. 6, another threat was made against UBC, although this time no particular building was specifically mentioned. Nevertheless, classes in the BSB were cancelled and the media told to stay away. Police have not yet disclosed the nature of the threats, or whether they targeted a specific group of people.
The campus stayed open both times, but students were warned of the possibly dangerous situation.
“It’s ridiculous to cancel classes in this building when the supposed threat is all over campus,” student Elshan Valipour told the Province.
The RCMP said that the two threats may be linked. Police have publicly appealed to whoever made the threats to seek professional counseling.
This week, UBC plans to test a new security system. At a cost of $30,000 per use, the Aizan system notifies the entire university community via email and voicemail of suspected threats. Only 38 per cent of students have provided their cell phone numbers.
