Students can arm themselves with knowledge, safety apps
By: Tania Robin
Staff Writer
September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month.
The US Department of Education reported 36,248 criminal offenses on 11,306 surveyed campuses in 2015. These offenses included theft, assault, personal and property damage and even rape. The New York Times reported in 2012 that 80 percent of campus crimes occur at night when students are alone on campus.
Although Meramec has many security measures set in place to keep the campus safe, including a campus police force, students are still advised to be wary of possible dangerous situations.
In spring 2013, there was an attack on a female student in the Communications North building. The attack took place in a women’s restroom on the second floor. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch and earlier issues of the Montage, since the incident the school has established new safety measures including 52 new cameras installed in buildings across campus. Seven exterior cameras were also placed in parking lots and outside buildings.
Additional safety measures included adding panic buttons to classrooms and office phones that alert police dispatchers to the location of an emergency, holding routine evacuation drills, implementing an emergency message alert system including phone, email and text options and discussion of safety with students and staff each semester.
Students can also take their personal safety into their own hands by downloading safety apps to their phones. Many apps can send your exact GPS location to family, friends and the authorities at the push of a button. Other features include local crime alerts, emergency messaging systems and “no touch yank” technology that will send out an alert if headphones are removed by force. Safety apps include Safetrek, Tapshield, Kitestring, Bsafe and Circle of 6.
Meramec’s campus police can be reached by phone at 314-984-7667 during their campus hours, 7am to 11pm Monday through Friday and 8am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. They can be reached after hours at 314-984-7999. For more information on how to stay safe or locations of emergency call boxes, visit the Meramec campus police online at stlcc.edu/MC/Campus_Police/Safety_Procedures.html.
