After facing criticism from students for not sending out a University-wide text alert after reports of a stabbing near campus, UTPD Chief David Carter clarified UTPD’s emergency notification protocols.

Carter said emergency text notifications are only sent out when UTPD believes the community needs to take action because of a credible and imminent threat.

“If it doesn’t rise to that level, we still are going to put out information, but we’re going to put it on social media,” Carter said. “Our hope is that the information gets out to those who have an interest or concern about it.”

Carter said the incident at the intersection of Whitis Avenue and W 27th St. last night was a fight among three people, where one of the people reportedly cut the arm of another person. Carter said the suspect in the incident was immediately detained.

“Quite honestly, it was not a stabbing,” Carter said. “It’s something that we want people to know about, and so that’s why we put it out on social media. But it wasn’t a call to action by any means.”

Carter said if an incident happens on campus but does not meet the criteria for a text message, UTPD follows the Clery protocols and alerts students through an email. For off-campus incidents that do not meet the protocol for a text message, Carter said UTPD alerts students through social media.

“I think that they did exactly the right thing and used the right protocols in place,” Carter said.