The University of Kansas is bringing an app to campus to improve student safety.
Thursday, it announced Rave Guardian is available for students.
"I work as a resident assistant so I'm really excited about the safety app," said KU Sophomore Ashley Dunn. "This will also give campus a way to collect data on students and see these are how many of this type of crime happen."
So far in 2017, there have been 94 reported crimes on campus, eight of them violent, including assault and sexual offenses.
KU student Ben Schenberg said, "Lawrence Police are great about keeping people safe and being around those areas that are sort of at risk. But there's definitely some issues that could be fixed for sure."
Rave Guardian is on other campuses around the country. Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, KU Director for News and Media Relations, said talks to bring the tool to KU started at least six months ago. "It lets students really take charge of their own safety," Barcomb-Peterson added.
Drew Hafling, a KU student, said, "I thought it sounded really cool. You can like, choose people as your guardians and you can contact them immediately. It just sounds like a nice thing to have honestly."
Dunn emphasized, "We have all these resources but if you don't know they exist, then they're totally a waste."
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Dia Wall can be reached at dia.wall@kshb.com.
