LoboGuardian uses real-time interactive features that create a virtual safety network of friends and family, according to a UNM press release.
“I am pleased to share one of the University’s most recent campus safety measures, the LoboGuardian phone app,” President Bob Frank said. “This app has many features, but I think one of the greatest parts is that it essentially turns every smart phone into a virtual blue light emergency beacon.”
He was referring to the blue light emergency beacons installed by UNMPD across the campuses, making communication with campus security quick and easy.
“Being able to immediately reach the UNM Police dispatch, and access critical emergency information, goes beyond the blue phone fixture and offers peace of mind to those who download and use the app,” Frank said.
The LoboGuardian app is a customized version of Rave Guardian, a campus safety application produced by Rave Mobile Safety that is being used by more than 100 universities throughout the United States. The development of LoboGuardian was proposed by the Community Council, a campus-wide initiative that is focused on addressing hate and bias related incidents on campus, said Dean of Students Tomás Aguirre.
“The decision to purchase Rave Guardian was driven by our desire to make UNM the safest campus possible for all members of our community,” Aguirre said. “This cutting-edge technology allows users to convert their smart phone into a mobile blue phone and includes innovative features like a panic button, tip texting, personal guardians, and a safety timer and profile.”
Aguirre said the app was purchased by the Office of the President, and is free for UNM students, staff and faculty.
The app is another tool in the University’s effort to provide a safer campus, said Lt. Tim Stump, UNMPD’s public information officer.
“I look forward to the introduction and hope students, staff and faculty find it useful,” Stump said. “Students should familiarize themselves with the app and its abilities, FAQs and the app’s website.”
UNMPD’s role is providing a quick and effective response as panic alerts and tips come directly to UNMPD, he said.
Stump said that students should use the app to inform UNMPD if they are being harassed, stalked or threatened with violence.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“Students should report harassment immediately,” Stump said. “The quicker we document and identify someone harassing, stalking or bullying another student, the quicker we can take action toward that individual and get assistance to the victim.”
UNMPD has a mapping feature available on its website, where students can see the areas on campus where the concentration of crime is higher. Using keywords, students can search specific types of crimes and see where they occurred on campus, Stump said.
“If the proper measures are used as mentioned above, we could see a reduction in thefts,” Stump said. “Any police agency would love to see a reduction in crime.”
LoboGuardian App Features:
- Panic Button – Direct immediate connection to Campus Safety with GPS location and personal profile information.
- Tip Texting – Enables anonymous, two-way, crime tip reporting through text and images.
- Personal Guardians & Safety Timer – Students can identify Campus Safety, friends, roommates, and family as “Guardians” when setting their Rave Guardian Safety Timer. During a timer session, Guardians and Campus Safety can check status of the student. If the Safety Timer is not deactivated before it expires, Campus Safety is automatically provided with the user’s Rave Guardian profile to proactively identify and check in on the individual.
- Safety Profile – Student-created Safety Profiles contain information such as residence details and medical conditions. When a student requires assistance — on or off campus — student Safety Profiles are displayed to Campus Safety and Smart911 enabled 9-1-1 centers nationwide.
Source: RaveMobileSafety.com
Sayyed Shah is the assistant news editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at assistant-news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @mianfawadshah.
