Importance of safety, wellbeing at IUP

This story was originally posted in The Penn on 8/25/2022 (Link to article)

Friends,

Welcome back to Indiana! In addition to your academic and athletic memberships, you are valued and important members of our Indiana Borough community. I hope you consider Indiana and all we have to offer as your home while at IUP.

The coming weeks will present us all with opportunities to be outside celebrating together and enjoying the best of Indiana/IUP. Rest assured - celebrating and representing Indiana/IUP with pride are not mutually exclusive ideas, they just require a commitment to safety and respect. As you plan or attend events and gatherings – always keep these things in mind:

Your loved ones and community are counting on you to make good decisions and stay safe. Visitors to IUP do not share the same sense of community and university pride - or responsibility. Your best intentions can be easily subverted by the actions of others. Alcohol consumption impairs judgment.

The safety and wellbeing of everyone is our priority and positive relationships matter greatly to us. Many of your police officers are IUP graduates who are committed to being safe and successful in handling any and every situation presented in today’s world – for the betterment of us all. We are with you – never against and we are all better and safer together!

My family and I are your neighbors and are honored for the opportunity to share this time with you. We are committed to representing each of you and all our neighbors well. Indiana is a vibrant community and place of significance – in large part to IUP and everything best each of us bring.

I will always make myself available to you and your families. I wish you the best of everything and ask for your friendship, partnership, and support as we participate in fall activities and build positive relationships with each other.

Sincerely,

Justin W. Schawl

Indiana Borough Chief of Police