LifeSafe has been around for years, but not enough students are taking advantage of its services.

Back in October 2015, the Department of Public Safety partnered with LiveSafe, a mobile app that acts as an extension to the university’s Blue Light System.

With the app, users are able to report incidents in real-time, with the option to include images, videos or audio files. In the event that someone is unable to call DPS, LiveSafe gives them the option to text. The app also features a safety map that locates safe destinations in the area, and it has a SafeWalk feature that uses location tracking to show your cell phone’s location at any given time.

Although safety resources such as LiveSafe are readily available on campus, students tend to neglect them. Bobby Maldonado, chief of DPS, said this may be due to a lack of perceived threats on campus.

“It’s not only that (DPS) provides a safe environment, but we also provide our community with the perception of a safe environment. There’s a distinction between feeling safe and being safe,” Maldonado said. “Sometimes people think, ‘I don’t feel unsafe.’”

And that’s the problem. Students don’t intentionally ignore the safety resources in place, but they don’t realize a need for them. This makes it easier for them to disregard options for safe living, going about without the knowledge of what to do or who to call in an emergency.

Maldonado added that students often interact with safety resources retroactively. They don’t realize how useful an app like LiveSafe would be, until after they encounter a dangerous situation.

Don’t be one of those students. Hopefully you will never need LiveSafe, or other safety resources, but they’re important to have in the case of an emergency. If you don’t already have the app, be sure to download it. You’ll be glad you did.

Jennifer Bancamper is a sophomore English & textual studies major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at jbancamp@syr.edu.

Published on November 25, 2018 at 9:30 pm