It's an all too common occurrence, but violent acts on campus' and in workplaces, like that on Ohio State University's campus are a reality. These violent acts do not go unnoticed by local officials.

Chief David Valkinburg, of the Marietta College Police, says "from a campus standpoint, you're always concerned. You automatically re-look at your campus policy procedures. And threat assessment is a big concern on all college campus' these days."

Marietta College's policy is to alert those at the school to danger via text and email messages. While every school has a different way of securing campus safety, one thing is certain: it's better to have a plan before violence becomes a disturbance.

Chief Valkinburg says "I think there's so much variance in all schools, I think one of the things we've learned from threat assessment, if you're trying to develop policy and procedure after they've happened, you're probably too late."

And even though there is no sure fire way to protect against a violent act there is one way to reduce the risk of such an act occurring. Communication.

Chief Valkinburg says "the main thing is communication. Should anybody, whether on campus, off campus, or even in a workplace feel that they have a concern with somebody, the most important thing to do is to speak out to let somebody know, because prevention is the key."

And that key may just make for a safer school environment.