With temperatures well below freezing to kick off the quarter, it’s reassuring to know that students can get a ride within the campus from DePaul’s Public Safety Escort Service.
Data from winter quarter 2013 and autumn quarter 2013 show a major increase in rides during the winter months.
7,932 rides were given during the autumn quarter, which is less than half of the 13,394 rides given last winter. During the academic winter quarter, the least number of rides given in one week was 813 and the most was 1,443, compared to autumn quarter when the least was 306 with a high of 1,022 rides in one week.
Robert “Bob” Wachowski, director of Public Safety, has worked at DePaul for 30 years and presides over the escort service, which is available from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. 365 days a year.
“It’s one of the nice benefits for the students while at the university, keep them safe while they’re on the campus,” Wachowski said.
“(The number of rides) can triple on some nights and unfortunately, a lot of those are just due to the bad weather more than for safety but we don’t differentiate,” he added. “We don’t ask people why they’re taking it if they ask for the service. We just pick them up and take them where they want to go.”
The service is only for locations within the Lincoln Park campus and also includes the Fullerton ‘L’ stop and 1237 W. Fullerton Ave., which is one of the furthermost points of the campus and home to several DePaul students. At all times there is at least one patrol officer in a vehicle dedicated solely to escorts, with additional patrol vehicles on standby. While the service is available for rides during the cold, the primary function is for safety – not shopping.
“We won’t take people to Dominick’s or to McDonalds.” Wachowski said. “And that’s kind of why we started going away from those types of escorts because all we were doing was making McDonald runs at night. It’s not really a safety issue at that point.”
It’s no surprise that some days see more traffic than others.
“Thursday nights tend to be a little higher and the reason for that is a lot of the kids go out on Thursday nights, so (they use the service) so they can get closer to their destinations,” he said.
The top destinations of the escort service are the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center, the Student Center and 1237 W. Fullerton.
The escort service is not available in The Loop due to the nature of the campus, staffing and the significantly lower number of students who are present in a 24-hour period. Wachowski recommends that students taking classes find a classmate who is going in the same direction and walk together.
While the numbers are extraordinarily high in the winter, not all students use the service.
“I don’t really think about it,” sophomore Julia Kalero said. “I’m not usually here late and I live close to campus so I just walk with other people.”
“I just park my car in the garage and don’t go far,” junior political science major Maria Karahalios said.
Junior psychology major Virginia Cox described a not so pleasant experience with the escort service.
“I’ve had mixed experiences with the escort service,” Cox said. “I used it in fall quarter because it was late and getting to and from 1237 (W. Fullerton) where my friend lives is a far walk. The driver was really rude to start with and drove like a maniac and was yelling at other cars. It was terrifying.”
However, Cox understands the value of the service and knows that it is there for support.
“The other times I’ve used escort services was because I was at the library studying late and didn’t want to walk home alone,” she said. “Luckily since I live really close to campus, they will drop me off right in front of my apartment, and I really appreciate that.”
“I try to not be out late so I don’t have to use it because of that not so awesome experience but it’s nice to know it’s an option if I ever feel like my safety is in jeopardy,” she added.
Students interested in the service should call 773-325-7233 (SAFE). From there, a dispatcher will alert them of the wait time and a car will arrive to pick them up. The average wait is five to 10 minutes but will vary in the event of an on campus emergency. Once inside, students must sign in on a sheet. There is a limit of three people per car. If there are more, a call can be made and the car will return.