MU says software glitch is to blame for alert issues; university looks to improve process
A pair of MU Alerts to students last week did not include a location and an MU spokesperson says a software glitch was to blame.
By Nia Hinson
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COLUMBIA, Missouri (KMIZ) — A pair of MU Alerts to students last week did not include a location and an MU spokesperson says a software glitch was to blame.
University of Missouri spokesman Christopher Ave wrote in an email on Tuesday that alerts sent on April 12 and 13 failed to include a location of possible shots fired incidents.
Ave wrote that the issue was due to a software glitch related only to text messages, as emails sent out at the same time did include an address. Text messages sent out to students shortly after included the address and subsequent text messages have not experienced issues.
Freshman Leah Chevalier said one of her friends was a victim of a shooting in Downtown Columbia during the fall semester. Chevalier said her friend’s parents pushed for more alerts to be sent out to students following the incident, which is something she has also become an advocate for.
“It’s definitely better to have the address just because then you know where it’s at but I think even just knowing there’s a shooting in Columbia is still more helpful than not,” Chevalier said.
Ave said he recommends individuals who receive the alerts check their email and the university’s alert website in addition to text messages for more information.
Ave also said MU plans to get additional verification prior to sending an alerts to students, after a false report of shots fired was sent on April 16.
The Columbia Police Department received an alert from someone on April 16 that they heard gunfire off-campus, the email says.. Out of an abundance of caution, an alert was sent out to students but police later found no evidence of shots being fired, Ave said.
“Moving forward, we will work to get verification prior to sending an MU Alert about off-campus issues. We will continue to make the best decisions possible to ensure the safety of our campus and the surrounding community,” the statement said.
Chevalier said while she finds the alerts to be beneficial, she often finds that follow-up alerts are not sent to students letting them know things are safe. She said she was in the library when she received the alert on April 16.
After some time, she said she left the library, not knowing if it was safe to do so.
“I just ended up leaving and I was pretty freaked out walking home but that would be nice to get like an ‘all clear’ text,” Chevalier said.
The university also sent out several alerts to students regarding severe weather, after an EF-1 tornado tore through Columbia. Some students said the alerts are helpful for knowing about potential crime and knowing when to take shelter.
Freshman Morgan Kim said she was on her way driving home right before the storm, and the alert sent to her phone is what made her realize the severity of the situation.
“Otherwise, I would’ve been on the highway when it hit so, just having that safety to know what’s going on around you is really nice,” Kim said.
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