University of Akron’s Board of Trustees is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the shooter who killed a student and wounded two others at an off-campus party this past weekend.
University President Gary Miller had a press conference Tuesday where he announced a series of initiatives he hopes will prevent the kind of violence that led to the death of 18-year-old Maya McFetridge.
“I’ve authorized CFO Dallas Grundy to immediately and substantially increase the number of full-time police officers in the University of Akron Police Department with the goal of providing full coverage for these areas both on and off campus,” Miller said.
The area Miller is referring to lies south of Exchange Street and surrounding areas.
The university will also hire a private company to provide additional campus patrols and immediately upgrade the campus’s incident alert system.
Miller is also ordering a review of the university's mutual aid agreement with the city of Akron's monitoring system to improve student safety.
The university will also be partnering with student organizations on campus to help educate its students and the community on public safety.
The University Board of Trustees and Miller will also seek meetings with the Akron City Council, Summit County Council, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Summit County Sheriff's Office and local business leaders to suggest improvements in housing and safety as well as draw up joint agreements to improve areas around the campus.
Miller has also been asked by the Board to develop a long-term plan of control and intervention in the areas south of Exchange Street which he expects to deliver by the first of next year.
