Nina Mullin, a junior art and design major, is living off campus for the first time. She says that she has to park her car far from her apartment and, although she hasn’t had any problems yet, she is concerned about walking home alone late at night.

LiveSafe, a new phone application from the Department of Public Safety, was created with students like Mullin in mind.

“We’ve had students requesting and mentioning for a few years now that it would be great to have a mobile blue light capability for their cellphones,” said Hannah Warren, public information and internal communications officer for DPS.

The app allows students to report tips to DPS using text, audio, photo and video. In addition, a user’s GPS location is transmitted through the app. It also offers a map of other reported incidents, a way to contact both 911 and DPS in an emergency and a “SafeWalk” feature.

SafeWalk allows a student to share their GPS location with friends as they walk home. The feature also includes a chat function through which students can communicate while they walk.

“We do provide a lot of safety escort services that will either physically walk someone to their destination or to the bus stop that will take them to their destination,” Warren said. “We also have a couple of safety shuttles that students can use when necessary, but I think this app is actually bringing that service down to the level that students are actually comfortable using.”

Mullin said she thinks she will use the app because she likes the idea of being able to contact her friends and DPS if she ever feels unsafe.

“If it’s a free app, I don’t see why people wouldn’t get it if it’s helping further safety,” Mullin said.

Warren said the search for the app stemmed from student concerns like Mullin’s. SU officials then looked into the similar apps offered at various organizations and found one that fit the best with their systems. LiveSafe made sense because it connects with PeopleSoft, which is the organization that runs MySlice.

As part of the “soft roll-out” of the app, DPS and a representative from LiveSafe offered a presentation to faculty and staff. Warren said they’ve received some questions and mostly positive feedback from students, faculty and staff members.

“I can’t guarantee that this app will automatically create a better, safer environment for anybody,” Warren said. “However, it is one more way for students to connect with us and it is one more way for them to get easy access to help when they need it and I think that is definitely an advantage.”

Published on August 30, 2015 at 9:34 pm

Contact: clmoran@syr.edu