Features Editor

Sometimes taking night classes at CSU Bakersfield cannot be avoided, here are a few safety tips provided for students by the University Police Department.

There are emergency poles/boxes found across campus.

Each pole/box has two buttons: one to push for emergencies and the other to push for information.

Both buttons reach someone in the dispatch office, but they differ by letting the dispatcher know if it is urgent or not.

There is a total of 47 emergency poles/boxes all over CSUB.

“Around September the pole/box count should increase to 51 or 52 with all the new parking lots and buildings being erected,” said Marty Williamson, Chief of UPD.

Escorts are also available to everyone on the CSUB campus.

All a person must do is call the non-emergency UPD number and within three to five minutes a Community Service Officer will arrive and escort said person to their vehicle.

There is always someone from UPD on campus 24/7. They are even there during holidays and school breaks.

“We are hiring additional staff within the UPD and plan to have the positions filled within the next three to four weeks,” Williamson said.

Williamson also mentioned that the UPD has been working with IT to create a way for students to use their smartphones to get into contact with the UPD.

The plan is to allow students to push a single button and the UPD will be notified that there is an emergency.  

Chief Williamson said that if any student walks into an area, at night, that is not lit enough then they are encouraged to let UPD know so that they can add more lights to the area.