Michigan State University is adding a new alert to its mobile safety app for off-campus incidents.
The update comes as the university faces criticism from the campus community who say MSU Police did not sufficiently warn them about two shootings that occurred near campus over Halloween weekend.
The SafeMSU app sends emergency notifications and warnings for incidents that occur on campus and messages about other issues like road closures, railroad crossing issues and leaks.
Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety Mike Yankowski says the new alert was created after receiving a large amount of community feedback in recent weeks.
"We did hear you. We are listening to you, and just know and understand that the safety of our students, our faculty, our staff, our visitors are our number one top priority."
Campus police say the addition of Off-Campus Safety alerts strengthens how the university communicates emergencies. The alerts will be delivered through its SafeMSU app when it confirms a significant safety incident is occurring near the university including in areas students live or frequent.
Officials say the Off-Campus safety alerts are based on preliminary and available information from local law enforcement.
"We are not the responding agencies to some of these incidents, so the information we obtain, we are trying to do so in a timely manner, in a prompt way, but also confirming that information," Yankowski said.
Some of the reasons an alert could be sent out, according to Yankowski, could include armed robberies, confirmed shots fired, civil unrest or other threats near campus or near where students live.
The SafeMSU app can be downloaded on the MSU Department of Police and Public safety’s website.
