91麻豆天美app

• November 18, 2015

Rave Guardian is a personal safety smartphone app

QR code to download the app on Google Play

QR code to download the app on iTunes

Staying safe could be as close as your fingertips. There’s a way to transform your smartphone into a personal safety device. It’s called and Cal State East Bay’s University Police Department is encouraging students, staff and faculty to download the app, which allows people to contact emergency personnel with the touch of a button. 

“A lot of our students use cell phones, but when you call the University Police Department on a non-emergency line, we get no GPS or caller ID,” said CSUEB Police Administrative Manager Desi Calzada. “With this app, if someone hits the panic button, it triggers an alarm at the campus police station and immediately tells officers who the student is and where they are.”

Another key feature is a timer users can set if they feel unsafe while walking. The user sets the timer for the length of time they think it will take to get from point A to point B. Once the user reaches their destination safely, the timer should be turned off. If it is not disabled before the time runs out, police and the user’s designated guardians will get an alert. 

The app also enables a two-way tip line. Users can anonymously send texts and images to campus police if they witness suspicious behavior. 

“This is a way to be much more proactive and give our students and the campus community a broader sense of their own safety,” CSUEB Police Chief Sheryl Boykins said. “If something happens, we may not be right there, so you have to take some responsibility for ensuring your own safety. This app will help you with that.”

Boykins said the market is currently saturated with safety apps — a response to the increase in reporting of crime on college campuses. According to campus police, CSUEB has seen a reduction in most crime, but Boykins said she wants to stay one step ahead of the game. Rave Guardian is meant to create a virtual safety network, help users feel safe wherever they go, and provide immediate help if needed. Cal State East Bay is one of only two colleges in the Bay Area that purchased the app technology. 

“I love the Rave Guardian app and I hope all parents, students, and staff sign up for the service,” said Julie Wong, CSUEB’s vice president of student affairs. “The app helps strengthen the safety net. We are one community and we have to look out for one another.”

Those who choose to download the app can fill out a profile that can include medical history, emergency contacts, a car description and personal photo. Police encourage students to give as much information as they are comfortable sharing. 

Once a profile is created, the user is instructed to set a “Guardian” contact. This could even be University Police. 

“They don’t have to have (University Police) as a guardian,” Boykins said. “They can have family, a roommate, or a friend. But if they do select us as a guardian, that particular student doesn’t need to feel like big brother is watching him.”

Boykins went on to explain that the app does not include tracking capabilities; the information users provide is completely confidential and does not link to the police unless the emergency function is activated, at which point police can access it to help students. 

“Your phone becomes a safety device for you and so you can carry it with you,” Calzada said. “You have a safety device in your pocket everywhere you go and if you need to communicate with us. If you need someone to watch over you, it’s right there for you. It’s enhancing our communication.”

“Students will benefit by ensuring they have someone who is aware of their comings and goings,” Wong added. “Parents will be able to rest assured that their son or daughter is safe by being able to be connected to our students.”

The Rave Guardian app is free to download on all mobile devices, and can be used by any student, faculty or staff member with a university email address. , or use the QR code to the right. 

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