TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — University of Arizona Chief safety Officer Steven Patterson says “everybody in some way, shape or form is afraid of the dark.”
So, after the sun goes down on the second Tuesday of the month, he takes a crew of volunteers on a 'Safety Stroll,' sharing tips for individual safety and asking students for feedback on places they see as "problem areas."
Patterson says he sees these strolls as a litmus test for the Office of Public Safety, a new addition to the University on May of 2023.
“How can I engage with the students," Patterson said, running through the questions he hopes the strolls will answer. "And really make sure the messaging and the updates that we’re doing…is that information getting down to the students?”
A U of A Student Safety Survey from September 2024 found that while nearly 60% of students feel safe on all areas of campus, women and gender queer or gender non-conforming students reported feeling less safe. Students especially said they felt unsafe in parking garages.
Though these strolls can teach students how to use their resources like the blue light system or apps like Tripshot and Livesafe, Director Patterson says there's more to safety than avoiding crime.
“People being safe also constitutes people feeling safe," he said. "People’s mental health—people feeling comfortable where they’re at— all plays a part in public safety.”
He says that the University is putting "Stop the bleed" kits in each AED location— indoor AEDs already have two Narcan doses— and updating classroom with U Alert boards for students who not have their cell phones on them.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
