Approachability may be the main goal for all campus personnel, but it is of utmost importance to the Marshall University Police Department.
When asked about the members of the MUPD, Police Chief Jim Terry took pride in talking about his staff.
“We are a community-based police department… they’re friendly people that you can come up and talk to,” he explained.
The department is accessible 24/7 for community members on campus, with code blue phones dispersed throughout campus. With the push of a button, these phones connect directly to the MUPD, resulting in an officer being dispatched to the location.
The MUPD also provides an escort service for students who aren’t comfortable walking around campus at night. By dialing (304) 696-4357, university students and staff members can be escorted by an officer as they move around campus.
The University also offers a self-defense course taught by Officer Scott Ballou, who received the RAD Aggressor Award as one of the nation’s top instructors in 2015. This one-credit-hour, eight-week course provides women with basic self-defense skills that could assist them in a physical confrontation.
Terry stressed the importance of situational awareness when people are in unsure situations.
“Don’t walk down the allies, walk down the streets. Stay on well-lit streets, and let someone know when you’re coming home and when you’re leaving.”
Terry also suggests maintaining a heightened awareness of your surroundings, walking with a friend or group, avoiding becoming too focused on your phone or listening to music too loudly in headphones and getting a personal safety item such as pepper spray.
If you intend to purchase pepper spray, Terry emphasizes the necessity of keeping it consistently at hand and ready to use. He notes that, for most individuals, vigilance wanes after a few weeks, resulting in a decreased frequency of carrying such items or reduced concern about having them out and ready to use.
Not only is it important to be consistent and have a routine regarding your personal safety, but it is also equally essential to utilize campus resources in order to ensure the safest environment at Marshall.
