By Carlo Valladares
Managing Editor
The Department of Public Safety has an escort service on campus to provide students with a service that allows them to reserve an escort to travel with them on campus at night. The service is staffed by students and is available Monday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to midnight, and on Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the exception of holidays and intersessions. The escort service started “between 1995 and 1997,” according to Paul Rappes, Director of Public Safety. However, many students are unaware that the service even exists.
Richard Renelique, a junior Broadcasting major, has worked as a Public Safety escort for six months. “I will bring students to their cars or dorms if they feel unsafe,” said Renelique, who found the paid position through JobNet. He works three times a week, and has assisted five students during his time as an escort.
The Public Safety page of the LIU Post website explains the service. “The Department of Public Safety at LIU Post is dedicated to providing a safe and secure campus environment for the students, staff, faculty, and visitors of the community it serves. To meet this goal, the Department of Public Safety provides a free walking escort service.
The escort service is available to all students, staff, faculty and visitors [of] the campus. The escort service is designed to enhance campus members’ safety and peace of mind if they must walk after dark. The primary goal of the escort service is to enable members to travel from one campus location to another with a greater sense of security.”
Of 11 students recently interviewed by The Pioneer about the service, six said they knew about it and five were unaware of the escort service. Deandre Wilson, a senior Broadcasting major, learned about the service through the Campus Concierge in Hillwood. “It’s a great idea because it gives students protection from dangerous situation[s],” Wilson said.
According to Renelique, the escort service “has still been active in the freezing cold.” Renelique explained that the service isn’t used very often and that the “word needs to be spread.”
To arrange for an escort, students can call 516-299-2200 from any campus phone or use one of the many blue light emergency phones located throughout the campus. When calling to arrange an escort, students must provide their name, exact location, and their destination.
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