U of M officials, public discuss campus crime and safety

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - At a monthly campus safety committee meeting on Monday, stakeholders met to begin creating a culture of safety across all University of Minnesota campuses.

Safety in focus

Members of the public commented on ideas on how to handle protests and encampments, with University of Minnesota police Chief Matt Clark also weighing in.

"Our goal is not to engage, but to support protests. To make sure it’s safe for everyone: the campus, community and the protesters," Clark said at the meeting. "Our goal is not to change how we’ve conducted our protest assistance at any point."

Other options

The committee also discussed the Rave Guardian app, a tool to combat crime: "the tool will augment, not replace, other safety offerings," Joseph Alf told FOX 9. "It’s an additional layer of safety offering."

UMN has long run Safe-Walk, an escort service offered to students who feel uneasy traveling across campus alone. Now, Rave Guardian offers a similar service. 

"Rave Guardian, the way that it is being used, is filling a very important function for those individuals who don’t want to wait, or don’t want a physical escort," Alf said.

Users tell the app where they are going, and it tracks their journey.

"I know a lot of people have concerns about tracking of privacy, but if it means more safety for students, I would definitely get behind the idea," junior Samuel Maples told FOX 9.

"I think it’s a good idea: having someone there just in case something happens," sophomore Sam Estiban said. "I think it would be comforting."