While UW-Madison administrators continue to seek ways to ensure campus is as safe as possible, a violent assault that occurred on Langdon St. last month inspired students to demand new and improved safety measures on campus.
One month ago, UW-Madison freshman Sophie Morris created a petition to extend the Blue Button emergency system implemented on campus. Freshmen Madison Buening and Molly Teske also reached out to the Associated Students of Madison to voice their apprehensions about campus safety.
“This really concerns me because this is not how I want freshmen to feel about UW-Madison in their first couple of months on campus,” Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair Agalia Ardyasa said. “The feeling of [being] safe and secure on campus is very important, especially for those who just experience transition from high school to college.”
After speaking to UW-Madison Police Department, the Madison Police Department and Greek Life student leaders, ASM concluded the proposed Blue Button system was not the most effective solution — considering the current emergency poles are not often used by students.
“At this point in the discussion, I think initiatives like extending SafeWalk or maybe a UW shuttle throughout campus would be the best approach,” Morris said. “That being said, I don’t think any safety initiative would be a waste — or redundant — in such an important matter.”
The Student Safety Advisory Board are currently discussing various alternative safety initiatives with UWPD. Proposed safety measures include increasing outdoor lighting on and around campus, extending the SafeWalk service hours and raising awareness of the WiscGuardian app.
“I’d love to see more initiatives that serve the best interest of our students – either it’s adding lights, more officers at certain hours, adding resources or increasing services related to student safety,” Ardyasa said.
WiscGuardian allows users to set a “Safety Timer” and share it with their contacts on the app. If the student does not deactivate the timer within a certain amount of time, the “Guardians” who share their timer will receive a notification immediately.
Because many students do not know about the app, students are hoping to discuss it within SOAR groups this summer so freshmen and transfer students are more aware of the safety features available on campus, Buening said.
One of the challenges to implementing these safety measures is Langdon St. — one of the main areas of concern — is off-campus.
UWPD hopes they can work with ASM to help them navigate the local government system and connect with local alders and other city officials who may be able to help with off-campus areas, said UWPD Director of Communications Marc Lovicott.
The goal of these new safety programs is not only to make the campus a safer place but also to ensure students are aware of the safety measures in place, Buening said.
“It's not only [for] being safer. But if you feel more safe on campus, you’re more likely to get involved,” Buening said. “People don’t want to go to clubs if they don’t know how to get back safely.”
The hope is that UWPD, ASM and other student organization leaders will work together to determine which safety initiatives are most effective and should be implemented. To see this change, the Student Safety Advisory Board will continue to meet regularly.
“What better way to have students buy into safety initiatives then having students involved and helping along the way with the process?” Lovicott said. “We want to be collaborating and communicating and having them share ideas with us.”