University of Chicago Deploys Safety App

University of Chicago Deploys Safety App

With the UChicago Safe app, users can directly call the University of Chicago Police Department and Chicago Police Department, as well as report crimes and talk to UC safety and security dispatch.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • October 17, 2018

The University of Chicago’s Department of Safety and Security has launched the free safety app UChicago Safe. The app, a collaboration with AppArmor, provides emergency and safety links and resources for the University of Chicago campus.

With the UChicago Safe app, users can directly call the University of Chicago Police Department and Chicago Police Department, as well as report crimes and talk to UC safety and security dispatch. The UChicago Safe app includes a “blue light” system that shares a user’s location with the CPD and calls the police department to dispatch an officer to that location.

“The Department of Safety and Security wanted to provide the University of Chicago community with additional ways to contact the Department of Safety and Security and the UCPD,” said Michael Kwiatkowski, Executive Director of Campus Safety. “The popularity and interest in mobile safety applications has increased greatly in the past three years.”

The app also features safety notifications that instantly notify users about on-campus emergencies and send detailed instructions and emergency plans.

UChicago Safe is part of the university’s new “opt-in” security alert system, which allows people to choose what type of alerts they want to receive, and how many. The “opt-in” system was announced by Associate Vice President for Safety and Security last spring after people complained about receiving too many alerts via their university email.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Emerging Campus Access Control Solutions

    Emerging solutions in campus access control can mean different things. Usually, we expect the topic to focus on the very latest in door security products and solutions that have just been recently released or are about to be launched. After all, staying up on improvements to keep campuses safer is critical. Plus, it’s always interesting and exciting to learn what’s new and how innovations are going to better protect lives and assets and help the industry be even more successful. Read Now

  • Here’s How Instructional Audio Can Play a Key Role in School Safety

    Ensuring the safety of students and employees is critical in today’s educational environment. While the threat of a school shooting is in the back of everyone’s mind, the truth is there are many possible scenarios that could crop up at any time in classrooms, hallways, and other school spaces—from fights or altercations to a sick child or staff member who requires emergency attention. Read Now

  • How School Security Continues to Advance

    For more than 30 years, I’ve been fully immersed in security operations in K-12 schools, including working in school safety in Littleton, Colorado during the attack at Columbine High School in 1999. That incident, coupled with those before and since, underscores the critical need for continued improvement in safety and security measures in our schools. Thankfully, ongoing advancements in security technology enable prompt response to critical threats as well as daily operational efficiency Read Now

  • The Role of Trusted Access Control and Identity Management

    The diverse and dynamic campus environments of modern post-secondary institutions rely on multiple systems and processes to ensure campus security and operational efficiency. Read Now

Most   Popular

Webinars