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news
CSOs enhance campus
safety
By Ben Dimapindan
On-line Forty-Niner
It is still daylight-savings
time, but the sun is setting earlier and earlier, which means
that it is now significantly darker - and potentially less
safe - when students walk back to their cars or dorm rooms
after late afternoon or early evening classes.
In outdoor parking lots, such as the lot near the Foundation
Building, the streetlights had not been adjusted to standard
time until this week, said Debbie Perrung, director of Property
Management and Administration for the foundation building.
Students must use extra caution when walking alone at night,
she said.
Luckily for Cal State Long Beach, Community Service Officers,
or CSOs, have been escorting students to their cars and dorm
rooms safely since the early 1990s, University Police Sgt.
Bonnie Myers said. The program is operated cooperatively by
Associated Students Inc., Parking Administration and University
Police.
The CSO night escorts, who are normally seen around campus
between 6 p.m. to midnight, are paid students distinguishable
by their bright yellow uniforms.
Every year, since 1994, the number of people escorted back
to their cars has risen. Last year, 43,323 people were escorted
and criminal activity in parking lots has diminished during
the evening since the program began, Myers said.
"There are over 200 emergency phones on campus and anyone
can request assistance," Myers said. "CSO escorts
stay in specifically designated areas - the [University] library,
parking lots, places all over campus. There are about 25 people
on duty every night, Monday through Thursday.
"Certainly CSO escorts serving as additional eyes and
ears for the University Police are extra help and with that
crime will always go down," Myers said. "Almost
25,000 escorts have been [completed] this year already."
The high annual statistics of escort usage reflects the general
sentiment of the students that the CSO program is a helpful
and appreciated means of ensuring safety after dark, Myers
said.
"The [widespread use] says that we, as the University
Police and its programs are out there, doing our job and being
visible," Myers said. "Students, especially women
- because the majority of requests come from women - are using
it, not because they are scared, but enjoy the security, comfort
while being transported. It's a professional service and a
very convenient service for students to use late at night."
Also, to reach the University, students may press the red
button on the code blue phones located on campus and all campus
payphones list the University Police access numbers, according
to Myers.
In addition, since most CSULB students are cellular phone
users, Myers suggests that the University Police emergency
number should be saved into every mobile phone as an imperative
precautionary measure.
"Cellular phone users should plug in and save (562) 985-4101,
because that call will go directly to the University Police
Department," Myers said. "Most students would dial
9-1-1, thinking it would go to the University Police, but
the call actually goes to the [California Highway Patrol]."
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