EDITORIAL: Vice President of the University of Maine’s Student Government (UMSG), Cynthia Shelmerdine, announced in a recent executive report that the blue lights currently located around campus will soon be phased out in favor of the Black Bear Safe app.
Replacing this system with an app compromises the safety of students on campus.
Students routinely hear about the importance of memorizing UMPD’s phone number and downloading the Black Bear Safe app. I hear this advice yearly from my Resident Assistants (RAs) during our floor meeting at the beginning of the semester. By now, it’s a rite of passage to becoming a smart and safe Black Bear.
While the Black Bear Safe app connects you to emergency services with just a tap of a finger, what will you do when your phone dies and there are no help callboxes in sight? Knowing that there is an alternative safety measure in place could make all the difference in those critical situations, and that is the blue light poles.
According to the UMaine Police Department (UMPD), “These callboxes can be used for any kind of assistance, as well as to report any incident, including: crimes, suspicious persons, lost, found or stolen property, car trouble, medical problems, fire or a request for a personal escort.”
All callboxes are easily identifiable by a bright blue light located on top of the pole. This strobe light flashes when the call button is pressed, serving as a clear visual signal that help has been requested. All 32 outdoor and eight indoor callboxes are connected directly to the UMPD’s Communications Center.
Without a working phone or charger, the blue-light safety poles can be a vital resource, especially for those who are alone with no way to borrow someone else’s phone.
This system serves as a safety measure that students can rely on when our phones are unable to provide the assistance we require. UMaine students should advocate for an integrated safety system that keeps both callboxes and the Black Bear Safe app. The app should support other safety initiatives, not replace them.
These blue lights also improve campus safety by illuminating a significant amount of poorly lit areas on campus.
For instance, there are no lampposts from Jenness Hall to the Foster Center for Innovation, except for one that is just for show since it no longer works. The blue light safety pole near the center is the only source of light on that side of Long Road. This light can be helpful for students who commute by foot, particularly during late hours or harsh weather conditions.
UMaine’s choice to discontinue the blue light system in favor of the Black Bear Safe app is eliminating an important safety measure for students. Beyond serving as a direct link to emergency services, it brightens dark areas on campus, aiding students who need to cross streets safely. We should have the ability to decide which option is most suitable for a given situation and have access to this choice when all else fails.
