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De Anza is cautious one year after bomb scare
Security on Cupertino campus is heightened since threat
By GEORGE MOORE
It has been a year since Al Joseph DeGuzman allegedly plotted to carry out a massacre at De Anza College in Cupertino. His trial, which has been delayed twice, is now slated to begin March 18 in San Jose, according to Debbie Cox, administrative secretary at the district attorney's office.
DeGuzman was arrested Jan. 30, 2001, after police were tipped off by Kelley Bennett, a clerk at Longs Drugs. Bennett witnessed photographs DeGuzman brought in to have developed, which portrayed an arsenal of weapons and bombs. Police arrested him hours before the alleged attack was to occur.
Mike Paccioretti, college peace officer at De Anza said campus security has gone through a major change since the threat.
"For the past five months we have had uniformed and armed police on campus," Paccioretti said.
Mike Brandy, vice president of college and finance services, said De Anza consolidated with the Foothill College Police Department, which has post-certified officers, as part of a reorganization of campus security.
Janice Winkel, media relations and editorial coordinator, said the campus has been working on security issues in a variety of ways, including crisis communications.
Brandy said most of what the campus is doing to increase its security is in the emergency preparedness area.
"We have been developing an emergency plan that covers how personnel should respond in a variety of situations, including natural disasters," Brandy said. "We are wrapping it up now and plan to distribute it to the college next month."
The college is planning a simulated emergency situation during spring break in April involving campus personnel, and Brandy said they would follow that up with regular training sessions.
Brandy said since Sept. 11 there has been a heightened sense of security at all universities, and campuses have been receiving a lot of literature about what they can do in the event of an emergency.
On Jan. 30, 2002, a year after DeGuzman's arrest and during the lunch hour, Brandy said life seemed to be pretty quiet on campus.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
