Students navigate campus safety concerns at night

From morning classes to late night study sessions, students, faculty, and residents are on campus at all hours. This raises questions about on-campus safety and what steps should be taken to feel more secure and safe on campus after dark. 

“I definitely prefer to be picked up, especially in the wintertime,” said student Lauren Arensburg. “When it gets dark at 5 o’clock and I’m on campus, I would much rather just get a ride home than walk.”

Jayhawk Boulevard is usually busy and well-lit at night while other areas around campus are not. 

“I used to walk from Daisy Hill to the [recreation center], and that walk just always felt really creepy and dangerous, because it was always really, really dark,” said student Natalie Glassel. 

While some students believe that the campus environment is generally safe, others take solace in knowing there’s a police presence around campus. 

“I see security out here like, campus police, quite often,” said student Weston Tousey. 

Students should take precautions to keep themselves safe, including carrying a cell phone at all times. 

“Your cell phone is really that thing that’s kind of like the Swiss Army knife of safety,” said Captain Jack Campbell, commander of the investigations and support services division at the University of Kansas Police Department.

According to the KU Police Department, there are additional resources available to help students, faculty, and staff stay safe while walking at night, which includes safety escorts and routine patrols.

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