I think I can speak for most Purdue students when I say I always feel relatively safe on campus. The well-lit pathways, friendly atmosphere, and familiar buildings make students feel like nothing bad could ever happen on our beloved Purdue. But as smart collegiettes™, we need to recognize that no campus is always unaffected by crime. As fall and winter approach, the days become shorter, and late classes and clubs cause us to be on campus in the dark. Campus police have set up many different safety precautions to keep students out of harm, but it’s our job to take advantage of these services to keep ourselves, and others, safe.
Safety Tip #1 – Pay attention to Purdue’s automatic alerts
Purdue campus police have set up many alerts systems to automatically let students and Purdue employees know when an emergency occurs. Purdue’s home page announces the situation in detail, outlining what, when, where, and how to deal with the emergency, and emails describing the situation are automatically sent out to anyone with a “purdue.edu” address. For alerts in the residence halls, Boiler Television also broadcasts any emergency information. By paying close attention to these different media outlets, you will be in the know of what is going on around campus and which areas to avoid.
Safety Tip #2 – Sign up for Purdue TextAlert
Any Purdue University faculty, staff, or student has the option to sign up for Purdue TextAlerts. This one-time step provides you with a brief text message outlining the emergency, and is sent directly from Purdue Police. Sign up for Purdue TextAlert by first visiting Purdue’s security page. Near the bottom of the page, click on the link that says “Change my emergency contact number” to sign your cell-phone up for TextAlert.
Safety Tip #3 – Call Safe Walk
As always, the buddy system is the best way to play it safe when walking on campus in the dark. If you are unable to recruit a friend, contact the Safe Walk Program at (765) 494-SAFE. A Purdue Student Security Patrol member will meet any student, wherever on campus, and safely walk them to where they need to be. This service is available during both fall and spring semesters and offered to any Purdue student or staff.
Safety Tip #4 – Be Aware of Blue Lights
At almost every intersection on campus, you should see a yellow box with a glowing blue light. They are easy to bypass but, in an emergency, those blue lights could be the best tool to protect you. Those are Purdue’s Emergency Telephone System call boxes. In the event of a crime, open the door and push the button and you will be directly in contact with Purdue Police Headquarters. Becoming aware of where these call boxes are on campus will keep you responsive if you happen to be the victim, or witness, of a crime.
Safety Tip #5 – Attend a RAD or SAFE Session
Academic classes shouldn’t be the only part of the collegiette™ curriculum. The Purdue University Police Department has set up two different classes to aid in the prevention and protection in the case of an attack. Rape Aggression Defense (RAD), is a 12-hour course that is offered to all Purdue students and staff, as well as the general public. The class begins with an informational session on how to prevent an attack and is then followed by hands-on defensive training with certified instructors. If you’re looking for a less time consuming option, check out SAFE, or Self-Defense Familiarization and Exchange. This two-and-a-half hour class provides brief prevention education, as well as a basic physical defensive skills lesson. If you are interested in either of these programs, go here,or e-mail the Purdue Police Department at police@purdue.edu for more information.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 20-25% of college women will be victims of assault in the course of their college career. Let’s help the Purdue Police in their attempt to protect us by informing ourselves and other Boiler collegiettes™, so we can help keep each other safe.
Photo Credits
Night Engineering Mall Fountain photo: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SWAagbzXWiI/TfloHHMNYfI/AAAAAAAAALg/Slesp-LlqVU/s1600/post.jpg
Self-defense photo: http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=9rJLK4MJJeLYH&b=7634579
Sources
http://www.purdue.edu/police/pdf/YourCampus.pdf
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/182369.pdf