Blue Light Phones Are Still Relevant For Campus Safety
According to stats compiled by Axon, there were 27,300 crimes reported on postsecondary education campuses over the course of 2019 and 2020, or almost 19 crimes per 10,000 students. These include assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts, among others. To help deter these incidents, many campuses in the United States employ the use of blue emergency phones (also known as emergency blue light phones or blue light boxes).
While some campuses are phasing out emergency telephone systems, others are adding them. They add an extra layer of safety that parents like seeing and they serve a functional safety purpose.
When should someone use a blue emergency phone?
Campus dwellers should use these phones without hesitation if they feel like they’re in danger. UC Irvine lists a few examples in its emergency blue light phone guidelines:
Fire emergencies
Crimes in progress
Medical emergencies
Accidents
Reporting suspicious behavior or activity
While blue emergency phones became ubiquitous as a result of rising college crime, UC Irvine’s list provides an important reminder that these devices can also be used in non-criminal scenarios like fires, car accidents and life-threatening medical emergencies.
One of the most valuable aspects of a blue light phone is its ability to increase the awareness of on-campus security measurements.
Nearly Every Campus Has Emergency Blue Light Phones
It has become an unwritten requirement for college campuses to have a blue light phone system. Per the U.S. Department of Justice’s Special Report on Campus Law Enforcement, 100% of private schools (15,000+ students) have a blue light phone system as well as 92% of all university campuses. See the breakdown of college campuses in the chart below.
Blue Light Phone technology and our Rauland Telecenter U® School Alert System integrate with other safety and security surveillance systems to provide high protection and immediate response systems to ensure optimized student, faculty, and visitor safety.
Contact our team to learn more.