The University of Colorado at Boulder and the city of Boulder have developed several programs -- on campus and off -- over the last two decades to help ensure the safety of university students, and campus officials want students to be aware of them.
Emergency phone kiosks, improved campus lighting and a variety of programs and practices have been put in place to help keep the CU-Boulder campus safe.
CU Police Chief Joe Roy encourages citizen involvement in maintaining a safe environment. "We strive to work cooperatively with the faculty, staff, students and visitors of the university in addressing safety concerns," Roy said.
"We'd like to prevent crime whenever possible, and promptly respond to reports of criminal activity," he said. "We're open to discussions with members of the community about how we might further enhance safety at CU."
Scattered across the main campus, east campus, Williams Village, Bear Creek Apartments and in the Regent Drive and Euclid Avenue autoparks are more than 50 emergency phone kiosks. The phones connect to the CU Police Department and can be used to report crimes in progress, suspicious persons, medical emergencies or concerns about personal safety.
Information about reporting crimes is presented to students during orientation, in "A Guide to Residence Hall Living" and in the CU phonebook. For more information visit .
The CU-Boulder police force has 40 full-time officers to respond to reports of emergencies and crimes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For police, medical and fire assistance, students should call 911. For non-emergencies they should call UCPD at (303) 492-6666.
The CU NightRide program provides free, nighttime escorts to CU-Boulder students, staff and faculty around campus and anywhere within the Boulder city limits. Created in 1985 and managed by the University of Colorado Student Union, the program is based at the University Memorial Center. For information on the hours of operation visit umc.colorado.edu/nrnw/hours.html, or call (303) 492-7233 to request a ride.
To limit access to campus residence halls, all doors leading to living areas are locked 24 hours a day, and for security reasons female residents do not live in ground floor rooms in the residence halls.
Students can learn more about personal and campus safety through various campus sources including the CU-Boulder student life guidebook "Ralphie's Guide," the Off-Campus Student Services office, residence hall advisers, housing orientation, the CU Police Department, the campus catalog and the Committee on Personal Safety.
CU-Boulder also has resources available to victims of sexual assault and acquaintance rape. The Office of Victim Assistance, at (303) 492-8855, has trained professionals available to privately discuss incidents and to support the reporting of assaults to authorities.
The CU Rape and Gender Education Program, known as COURAGE, uses interactive education, peer-facilitated programs and campus-wide campaigns to raise awareness about sexual violence. For more information about COURAGE call (303) 492-4339.
CU police and administrators also work closely with the Boulder police and city staff to promote student safety off campus.
Boulder officials offer these tips to help students enhance their safety:
o Remember to use the buddy system. Don't walk home alone and don't leave friends alone while out at night.
o Remember to close and lock your doors and windows to help prevent burglaries and assaults.
o Report all suspicious activity and persons in off-campus locations to Boulder police by calling 911 in emergencies or (303) 441-3333 in non-emergencies.
o Remember the original date-rape drug is alcohol. Alcohol impairs judgment and the ability to recognize dangerous situations in time to escape.
For more tips on off-campus safety visit the city of Boulder's Web site at bouldercolorado.gov, then click on City A-Z, then Police Department.
Additional CU-Boulder support programs cover everything from laboratory and radioactive materials safety to pedestrian and traffic safety. Students interested in learning more about self-defense can enroll in classes at the Student Recreation Center. Call (303) 492-5258 for information.
For more information about campus safety visit .