As part of a larger effort to increase communication between the Department of Public Safety and Student Association, representatives from DPS spoke at Monday night’s meeting about precautions to take during Halloween, as well as the new emergency and safety services it offers.

DPS Cpl. Joe Shanley encouraged students to be cautious at parties this weekend and warned them to stay away from offensive costumes. Shanley’s warning echoes the university’s request for students to avoid potentially offensive costumes during Halloween weekend to limit bias incidents.

SA president Jon Barnhart also urged students keep in mind the e-mail sent out by Thomas Wolfe, senior vice president and dean of student affairs for the university, which urged students to be cautious in choosing Halloween costumes.

‘Really think about what your costume says about yourself,’ Barnhart said.

Shanley also said Halloween weekend makes it especially easy for community members and non-students to disguise themselves and sneak into parties.

‘Do your best to know who you’re with,’ he said. ‘Because each year it seems like we get a cast of characters who try to mask their identities, and it’s kind of hard to pinpoint them.’

Shanley said traveling in groups is one of the most effective precautions for students to take this weekend.

‘All the incidents we’ve had of robberies, people getting accosted, the victim is alone,’ he said.

He said students should call DPS if they see anything suspicious from partygoers.

‘We don’t want anybody to be afraid to call us,’ he said.

Shanley and Jennifer Horvath, the department’s public information officer, also spoke about some of the department’s recently updated programs, including its extended late-night shuttle hours and its emergency text-messaging service.

DPS recently decided to extend its shuttle services from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. to respond to the flood of calls it receives after 3 a.m., especially on the weekends after the bars close. During the extended hours, a van will pick up students directly.

When it comes to escort and shuttle services, Shanley and Horvath encouraged students to call whenever they might need to but to also keep in mind that students in more dangerous areas will get picked up first.

Other business included:

-DPS will hold its Student Advisory Council meeting on Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. to answer students’ questions and gauge feedback about its services.

-Bike registration forms were recently made available on the DPS website. This semester, DPS has dealt with the highest number of stolen bikes ever, Shanley said. Registering the bikes makes them easier to track down, he said.

– Students can text message DPS’ emergency line at [email protected], in addition to calling 711.

[email protected]

 

Published on October 25, 2010 at 12:00 pm