By Payton Carns
U of L’s Department of Public Safety launched a new campus community app this week intending to centralize the university’s safety resources.
Called “Card Armor,” the app is a one-stop shop for all things personal safety. Students and staff can access campus maps, notify ULPD of their location, and learn about U of L’s emergency plans all from the app’s homepage.
The homepage of Card Armor, U of L’s new campus safety app.
An update students will notice is the new procedure for Cardinal Cruiser, ULPD’s campus safety ride system. Users have the option of requesting a safety ride through a phone call like usual, or they can use the embedded app “TripShot” to order their cruiser.
TripShot functions like Uber or Lyft, with a map that shows the student’s pick-up and drop-off location and tracks the location of the cruiser. Students will also receive a push notification when their cruiser has arrived.
Students call now book safety rides through the TripShot app.
Not only did ULPD enhance existing safety features, but they also added new ones. A tab called “Virtual Walkhome” shares a user’s location with Campus Security as they travel. “Friend Walk” functions similarly, giving students and staff the option to share their location with a friend as they walk to their destination.
ULPD Police Chief Steve Green cited “Mobile BlueLight” as the app’s most notable feature, which works as a fast and discreet way to notify ULPD of an unsafe situation.
“If a university member feels unsafe and activates the button, it immediately connects them to the University Police Dispatcher via a phone call and displays their location on the dispatcher’s map,” Chief Green said. “The dispatcher will maintain verbal communication with the caller, while “following” their location if they flee the area, all the while providing their location to responding officers.”
The app is now available for U of L students and staff to download, with all features up and running.
Photo Courtesy // Facebook; Payton Carns, The Louisville Cardinal
