By Eli Hughes– 

University of Louisville students have voiced concerns over their safety due to a sudden increase in armed robbery on campus. The U of L Police Department has stressed the importance of staying alert and taking certain steps in order to help prevent becoming victimized by one of these crimes.

The first thing that university officials want to stress is that you should always take extra precautions when traveling across campus, especially at night time. ULPD offers a campus safety escort service which is available to all students and can be used to travel anywhere within 4 blocks of campus. This service can be accessed any day of the year from dusk until dawn by calling (502) 852-6111.

U of L Director of Media Relations John Karman said students should, “stay alert and aware of your surroundings, walk with confidence and purpose, use well-lighted public walkways, walk with a friend or in groups.”

Another resource that the campus provides for the students is the use of the L-trail. “The L-trail is well lit and patrolled route which promotes safe travels from the Student Activities Center, the Ville Grill and some of the affiliated residence halls,” said Karman.

 The L-trail is clearly marked with white signs with large “L”s.

Other features that the university has in place are surveillance cameras on the front of most residence halls. Most residence halls also require a key card in order to access them, so always be mindful about holding the doors open for people and giving them access to the building without a card.

It is also important to ensure your safety within your own residence hall or apartment. The best way to do this is to always make sure you keep all of your doors and windows locked. It is also essential to keep all expensive items out of sight from windows.

At the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester, ULPD launched a social media campaign with the hashtag #SafetyIsOurCardinalRule.  This campaign can be seen on the ULPD and university official twitter and Facebook accounts and is being used to promote safety and share tips about the many services the university provides.

Photo By Gabriel Wiest / The Louisville Cardinal