Last week, a protection professional published a report that criticized the findings of the state-appointed Virginia Tech review panel.
The more recent report, titled "Crisis of Leadership: A Response to the Virginia Tech Panel Report," was published by Vincent Bove, a certified crime prevention specialist who represented several of the families of April 16 victims in dealings with the school.
Bove's report claims that the review panel did not place a sufficient amount of blame or responsibility on those in the administration. The report cites that the administration dealt with the events of April 16 inadequately and inefficiently.
"(The panel) were honest about certain issues, but if you really read the entire panel report, it's vague. There are inconsistencies, there's errors and omissions. Those who were wounded and those who were killed ... at Virginia Tech and universities throughout the nation need the truth with no ambiguity, and I thought it was my obligation to tell," Bove said.
Bove said his report was necessary to present the truth about what happened from an expert's point of view, as somebody who knows college security. Bove's report evaluates the Tech administration's actions after the shootings in West Ambler-Johnston, and found that there were many preventative measures security personnel and Tech administration should have taken, and the review panel's lack of emphasis on the failure of the administration during that time is a disservice to all those involved.
Beyond his assessment of the actual review panel publication, Bove's report also breaks down the official conduct of the school described in the report by page, with the quotes from the report in one column, and Bove's critiques in another. The bulk of his criticism focuses on the inadequate nature of the security around campus, especially in West Ambler-Johnston Hall and Norris Hall.
His harshest evaluation is that of the official campus lockdown procedure.
"In this day and age, lockdowns are essential," Bove said. "The entire community had the obligation to immediately know that shootings had taken place in their community, and to have the entire Virginia Tech community locked down. Any other protocol or excuse to not lockdown is unconscionable."
Bove acknowledged the community's attempt to lockdown, but stated that any action was taken too late to be effective."Virginia Tech failed the community by not locking down immediately, they need to make sure that the entire Virginia Tech community knows how to lock down in the future," Bove said. "Stop the games of denial and defense mechanisms. In this post-9/11, post-Katrina society, it's reprehensible that anyone would say you can't lock down a college campus because it's too difficult. That's one of my main contentions; I want Virginia Tech and every university in this nation to stop playing games."
He cites the lack of security cameras, locks on the classroom doors in Norris Hall, and security personnel failing to secure West Ambler-Johnston as parts of the breakdown in security at Virginia Tech that contributed to the severity of the tragedy. Bove said that he welcomes a response to his report from any government agency, or just another school wanting to enhance the security on their campus.
"The Virginia Tech community is an honorable and dynamic community, with courage and resiliency, but their leaders failed them on April 16," Bove said.
Bove released his report to the families of the victims of the tragedy 24 hours before posting it online on his Web site last week. He has not spoken to any officials at Tech, and spokespeople at Virginia Tech have no plans to respond to Bove's report.
Representatives for Gov. Tim Kaine were out of the office due to Tuesday's elections, and unreachable for comment.
Related documents:
Crisis of Leadership: A Response to the Virginia Tech Panel Report