Utah university, where Charlie Kirk was killed, expanding police force

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM, Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah university where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated is expanding its police force and adding security managers after the school received harsh criticism for its lack of key safety measures on the day of the shooting.

Utah Valley University is in the process of hiring eight additional campus police officers and two new safety managers who will help coordinate security for future events on campus, spokesperson Ellen Treanor said Wednesday.

Kirk was fatally shot from a campus rooftop on Sept. 10 while debating students in an outdoor courtyard surrounded by several tall buildings. An Associated Press review found that the Orem campus did not implement several public safety practices that have become standard safeguards for security at events around the country. Police staffing also fell far below recommended margins for a school of its size.

Campus police did not fly a drone to monitor rooftops or coordinate with local law enforcement to secure the event attended by about 3,000 people. There were no bag checks or metal detectors, and several students who bought tickets told the AP they were never checked.

Chief Jeffrey Long said just after the shooting that only six officers had staffed the event. Kirk also had an eight-person private security detail present.

The university has 23 police officers, or one for every 1,400 on-campus students, according to a 2024 university report. Its planned expansion to just over 30 officers still falls short of police staffing at other large public schools nationwide.