Anyone can tell you that college campuses aren’t always the safest places, especially for young women — and it gets worse at night. Luckily, UWPD just released a new app, WiscGuardian, in hopes of improving campus safety. You can get it for free in the App Store under the name “Rave Guardian.” And trust me, you won’t want to walk without it again.
The WiscGuardian app contains a lot of safety features: it has an emergency dial button, a tip line link, a safety timer and the option to be “virtually walked home” by friends. After you create an account, you can add other users and friends to create your very own guardian community. Make sure to use your university email to sign up to get the custom UW-Madison version. Then, if you’re ever walking alone or feel unsafe, you can use the “Guardians” feature to contact friends on your walk home.
If a situation ever escalates to the point of potential danger, the app also gives users the ability to call 911 at the press of a button. This could save someone a precious few seconds and ensure that responders are notified instantly. While this may be for extreme situations, it’s always err on the side of caution when it comes to personal security. The app has a tool for suspicious situations, too: you can use the “CALL UWPD Non-Emergency” feature or text tips and photos into the “Send a Tip” feature. That way, UWPD can get a head start on anything potential incidents that might be happening around campus.
“Safety Timer,” on the other hand, can set timers to ensure safety during familiar commutes. If you don’t deactivate the timer before the estimated commute time runs out, your designated guardians will be immediately notified and provided with your location and contact information. That way, you at least have a way to automatically update people on your safety status, even if you don’t have someone that can walk with you the whole way.
WiscGuardian could provide major benefits to campus safety, and we can all do our part to make our home a safer place for everyone by downloading this app. Get the app, and encourage your friends to download it, too! You never know when you might need it.