Monday afternoon around 4 many students received jarring alerts in the form of text messages sent from USF's Department of Public Safety to their personal cell phones. The messages informed students that the campus was in a state of emergency and they should evacuate immediately.

Feeling safe on campus is important and Public Safety should make their presence greater at night when students are walking home.

The nightly shuttle extended their hours later on weekends so students have a safer way to get home late at night.

Public Safety’s Night Safety Shuttle has extended its hours to 3 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as of Sept. 1, which has been a collaborative effort between the Department of Public Safety and ASUSF Senate since last semester to increase weekend night services by two hours.

The economic downturn hit close to home at the budget meeting this past week with the board of trustees. USF’s Department of Public Safety was hit hardest when the group learned that its transportation budget would be sliced in half for the upcoming school year. After hours of debate on how best to acclimate to the sudden drop in funds, it was decided that all current methods of transportation would be sold and the department would invest in a new fleet of Rascal scooters for patrolling officers.

Following a spike in broken gates over the alcohol-fueled revelry of spring break, Public Safety and Facilities Management have been forced to team up and decide how to replace the gates and how to also send a message about the safety barrier that vanishes over weekends and holidays. Dan Lawson, director of Public Safety, said, “After many talks between the facilities team and myself, we have chosen to cut down the St. Helena gumwood in front of Gleeson Library to replace the gates.”

USF Director of Public Safety Dan Lawson spoke to the ASUSF Senate at their weekly meeting on Sept. 30. Lawson, there to address the state of safety at USF, gave an overall positive report and stated that thefts were the main problem being reported by students. Student senators questioned Lawson after his presentation, focusing heavily [...]