You may have heard about Burnaby RCMP responding to an incident at SFU Burnaby Campus today. We understand the concern this may have raised among students, faculty and staff; we were concerned as well.
The safety of our community is SFU’s priority. When there is a police incident at an SFU campus, SFU Safety Risk Services supports and takes direction from the RCMP/police who are leading the response. All of these groups work together to ensure the safety of our community. As a situation evolves details are not always clear. We try to share information as it is confirmed, and when and where it is appropriate and safe to do so. When a campus wide notification is needed I want to assure you that we have notification systems in place, but it is also important to note that it is not always safe to send out an alert as a situation is in progress.
We are relieved that the situation today was resolved peacefully, and we are thankful for the support of the Burnaby RCMP and our Campus Public Safety officers. As these types of incidents are not common, I acknowledge the fears it may have raised. For more information about campus safety and resources, please refer to our SFU Personal Safety Guides.
For anyone who feels impacted by today’s incident, please be reminded that the Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is available to all continuing faculty and staff. Students can access mental health supports 24/7 via the mySSP program and students in distress or needing assistance are encouraged to seek support from Health and Counselling Services at 778-782-4615 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday).