USU campus police offers safety escort service 24/7
Carson Wolf is a Student Life writer. She utilized the 24-hour escort service offered by the USU campus police department and documented her experience here.
Did you know the University police provides safety escorts anywhere on campus 24-hours a day? It’s as easy as calling their dispatch number 435-797-1939 and requesting a safety escort.
Captain of the University police department Kent Harris said requesting a safety escort is, “a piece of cake.”
Harris said they send either an officer or a security officer to escort any student on campus, and an officer will arrive within 5-10 minutes.
“We understand that people’s time is valuable, and we want to make sure that the person we are giving the safety escort to is there promptly and where they need to be safely so that they can go about their day or their evening,” Harris said.
The department doesn’t give escorts any further than a few blocks off campus, but they often wait with the student to get a ride to their residence.
Harris said a safety escort is one of the services the department provides most to students. The University police also provide vehicle jump starts and lockouts for no cost. Those vehicles must be on campus, like the safety escorts.
Harris said most students request a safety escort because they either don’t feel comfortable walking by themselves or they don’t know their way around campus.
“We don’t really ask why they need a safety escort, it doesn’t really matter why they need a safety escort,” Harris said, “If they want a safety escort we’re going to provide one.”
Harris said USU has a very safe campus, and most students feel safe walking around campus. But if an individual has a, “funny feeling,” he encourages people to call.
“We will be more than happy,” Harris said.
Harris said the department enjoys providing safety escorts because it gives them a chance to communicate with the student body.
“With as many students as we have we don’t get to know as many as we’d like,” Harris said. “So, when we do get to do the safety escort we have time to talk while we’re walking and address any concerns they may have and hopefully put them at ease with walking around campus.”
To test Harris’ claims, I requested a safety escort for myself. I attended the Battle of the Bands competition on Jan. 17, which was held during the week of the arts.
After the competition was over I called the dispatch number and requested a safety escort back to the Student Living Center. They asked for my name, my date of birth, my A number and where I was located.
I waited for about five minutes at the bus stop at the Taggart Student Center until a university police vehicle showed up. The officer driving said the officer who will be escorting me would be there shortly, he was arriving on foot.
The officer who escorted me was Erik Christensen, we walked from the bus stop where I was waiting to the Student Living Center. Throughout the walk Christensen engaged in conversation with me and made me feel comfortable and safe.
Last fall I attended the Howl as Princess Leia from Star Wars. When I got there, I realized I left my ticket at my apartment, so I had to walk all the way back to go get it. The whole walk back there were people who would say inappropriate comments to me, talk loudly about me as if I couldn’t hear them and cat call at me. I wasn’t dressed provocatively, if anyone who is familiar with Star Wars Princess Leia’s dress is “modest”.
I wish I had known the university police offered this service, so I could have called them and asked for an escort. I would have felt safe and enjoyed the Howl more.
I had a positive experience with the safety escort, I even saved the dispatch number in my phone in case I’m in another situation like the Howl.
To report a crime contact the university police at (435)-797-1939, or the Cache County Sheriff’s office at (435)-755-1000, or in the event of an emergency call 911.
Carson Wolf
@WereWolf_74