By Assata Allah- Shabazz
During Morgan State University’s homecoming last year, student Trinity Brown was in the cafeteria one evening when bullets suddenly pierced its windows.
“I thought people were just playing around until I saw glass shatter, and everyone started running and ducking,” Brown, a political science major from Harlem, New York, said. “The café workers were gone, and we were hiding in a small side room.”
A year after the shooting on Morgan State’s campus wounded five people, including four students, and prompted the cancellation of homecoming festivities, campus police have implemented new security measures for this year’s celebration.
“A lot of students are looking forward to homecoming and returning to our culture and school spirit,” Morgan State student regent Jared Patterson said. “There has been a significant increase in security measures, and it has been a point of discussion in university meetings.”
On Sept. 26, Morgan State chief of police Lance Hatcher released a security plan for the university’s homecoming celebration, which runs through Sunday.
“Things are going to happen. Our position and posture is to take every precaution,” Hatcher said. “We have ample human capital, technology, and equipment to help prevent issues. While we can’t prevent everything, we have plans in place to mitigate risks.”
The Morgan State University Police Department is deploying 225 police officers and security personnel throughout the campus. About 60 to 150 of those personnel onsite will be armed, Hatcher said.
The university also added new weapon-detection systems that use advanced technology. The campus security camera system has been expanded to more than 1,400 cameras to monitor activities and drones will provide surveillance of key areas on campus.
License plate readers also will be used to help manage traffic. The university police department will manage all access points to campus Saturday night using multiple live-view mobile security cameras and will install observation decks throughout campus that rise five feet off the ground.
While there is a no-visitor policy for student dormitories, no additional security measures have been implemented beyond the standard metal detectors, bag checks and security personnel stationed in front of buildings and in stairwells. However, campus buildings will close as early as 2:30 p.m. Saturday and will be cleared by 3 p.m.
The university police department will facilitate the closing of campus at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“What we’re going to do is have police cars lined up, and officers are just going to walk and gently nudge, not physically,” Hatcher said. “We’re going to encourage them to move off campus.”
There will be four live-view mobile security cameras placed around campus to display messages and communicate any emergencies.
During previous homecomings and large events, the Morgan State police communication systems have failed due to large crowds and technology interference.
“Typically, the vice president for design and construction brings mobile trucks, which operate best when there are additional people on campus,” Hatcher said. “We will be doing this on homecoming.”
Last year’s shooting took place outside of the Thurgood Marshall Residence Hall, where Brown is a resident assistant. She still vividly recalls what she witnessed in the aftermath: people being placed on stretchers and helicopters flashing lights into the dorm.
“I never thought something like this would happen in the first months of my freshman year,” she said. “Having SWAT run around the corner and point guns at me, dropping my phone, was so traumatic. I remember hearing my mom praying on the phone.”
A year ago alumnus Paris Smith was preparing to sell his custom Morgan State apparel at homecoming before it was canceled, disrupting his business plans.
He’s looking forward to selling his merchandise on campus this week with the added safety measures, which he believes are necessary.
“As people we’ve grown, but also as a university, it clearly shows that [university president] Dr. [David] Wilson is committed to protecting the Morgan family,” Smith said. “I thought that the response was swift. I thought that it was outlined in detail, which is perfect.
“It didn’t punish anybody. We can still come amongst each other and still celebrate – we just want to be safer.”
Since graduating in 2018, Smith said, he has seen an increased number of students and community members attending Morgan State’s homecoming over the years, which makes additional security measures long overdue to handle the large crowds.
Although the changes have alleviated his safety concerns headed into the weekend festivities, he understands that while he may be comfortable with the added security, not all alumni will feel the same way.
“Being African Americans, we do have a rocky history with police officers. I think that introducing police officers during homecoming can be a cultural shock, especially when you’re not used to seeing those police officers or that amount of police officers,” Smith said.
“[But] they’re there to fulfill a duty and to make sure that everybody’s safe. Safety is the No. 1 thing on my mind. It should be on everybody’s mind when they step on that campus on Saturday.”
Danny T. Molock Jr., a Morgan State alumnus and the current director of the Office of Student Life & Development, said his staff has been planning for the return of homecoming for a long time.
“We have been preparing for everything since last year, considering that this is one of the biggest celebrations,” Molock said. “We now have two classes of students, sophomores and freshmen, who have never witnessed what it’s like, as well as seniors.”
Many security measures have been implemented to enhance safety on campus, he said.
“The university is committed to ensuring student security, and if anyone feels unsafe, they should voice their concerns,” Molock said. “It’s important to speak up as there’s always room for improvement.”
For more details on Morgan State’s homecoming schedule, visit the official website. For security and emergency concerns, contact the Morgan State Police Department at 443-885-3103.
Senior HBCU reporter Mia Berry contributed to this story.
