Photo by Emma Way
By Emma Way
Senior Writer
Have you ever wanted to discreetly and anonymously let Public Safety know of a situation without the hassle of making a phone call? Public Safety recently introduced LifeSafe, a mobile application, which enables students to text PS with information of any suspicious or criminal activity.
Director of Public Safety Jerry Roderick sent out an email to both students and parents discussing the new mobile application purchased by Washington College on Dec. 19. “This program is voluntary and free to you,” he said in his email to the student body.
LifeSafe is easy to download for smartphone users with just a few clicks. Download LifeSafe from the App Store and then make sure the school is set to Washington College. Then type in some information about yourself and it is all set.
Roderick said, “LifeSafe also can give you a comfortable and easy way to notify Public Safety about a friend or classmate you are worried about, [or] ask a roommate to monitor your walk back to the dorm from town or the library.”
The main menu of the app includes four icons – Report Tips, Emergency, View Map, and Notify Contacts. Reporting tips gives students the ability to text PS and if they choose, include audio, a photo, or a video. The emergency icon is for emergency use only, and also includes the option to call 911 directly.
Viewing the map allows students to see their exact location if, for example, they need a ride from Safe Ride but don’t know exactly where they are. Finally, there is the option to notify contacts, which can be especially helpful for students if they find themselves walking home late at night, by using a feature called Monitor Me.
According to Roderick, about 125 people have signed up for the application. “It’s a pretty cool tool and I’m looking forward to getting students on board with it,” he said.
Whenever a text message is sent to PS, a notification pops up on the office’s dashboard with a map of campus and the Chestertown area. Roderick said, “If you were down at the Fish Whistle and you were calling in some suspicious activity, an icon would pop up… showing me where that call was coming from.”
Although the operation is still in the early stages of introduction, some students have tried out the app. “I think it’s an awesome resource for the campus; it’s simple to use, which I think will make it a lot more beneficial,” said senior Mike Liberto.
One feature in particular is strikingly different from just calling Public Safety’s phone line and that is the ability to stay anonymous. Liberto said, “The anonymity of it is great. Having the ability to not give forward your name and your own personal information, I think, will make the student body more comfortable to use it.”
For campus employees like Resident Assistants and Safe Ride drivers, this app may make reporting unsafe activity or a life-threatening situation more efficient. “It’s a great resource to have for me… if I see something on my rounds, it’s a simple way to [report] that,” said sophomore RA Ryan Stevens.
Roderick reminded campus in his email that this app is not a replacement for the WAC Alert system or for calling the office for normal lockouts.
“I think it’s a great thing for every campus. I don’t know why we haven’t had this sooner,” said Stevens.
More information and promotion for the application will be happening in the next month with instructions on how to download and use the app to its full potential.
Liberto said, “Even in a small town… you can never really be sure what’s going on at all times. I think it’s an awesome way for people to stay connected and given the amount of crimes that have happened in such a small town its kind of fascinating we