With instances of gun violence and other emergency situations on college campuses making the news all too often, security systems at colleges and universities remain of the utmost importance. Campus security not only needs to be strong, but current to ensure the safety of students. Many colleges and universities are looking to text messaging to keep campus safety as modern and powerful as possible.
Mass Emergency Alerts
Many U.S. college students are familiar with semesterly tests of university emergency systems interrupting their text and email inboxes. A large proportion of institutions use software that enables them to mass text public safety alerts to a database of student cell phone numbers. As of a 2010 survey, 99.8% of college students have cell phones, giving SMS a great breadth of reach among student populations.
Text messaging is not only the most effectively wide-reaching medium when contacting students — it is also the most efficient and effective way to contact students. College students spend, on average, between eight and ten hours on their phones each day, with many reporting that they are uncomfortable when their phones are not in sight. This makes texting the best and fastest way to get in touch with students during emergencies.
Anonymous Tip Reporting
Several programs exist that allow students to give anonymous tips to authorities when they think something may be amiss. Many institutions offer specific numbers that students can text to initiate a tip if they see something suspicious. Anonymous tips are an invaluable way for public safety authorities to gather real-time data on potential threats where they may not always have eyes.
By bringing the ability to issue anonymous tips to SMS, institutions make anonymous tipping as quick, easy, and convenient as possible for college students. With a large proportion of students having their phones on them most of the time, SMS tips are an important step in encouraging more students to report suspicious activity. Texting is also ideal for the reporting of time-sensitive matters, as issues of public safety often are, allowing for rapid transmission and receipt of information.
Clearly, SMS and campus security share a rich future.
