LINDSEY FIALA | Online Editor

With October being domestic violence awareness month, it’s even more important for students and employees to have all the tools they need to stay safe on campus. 

Lindenwood University’s mobile safety app, Rave Guardian, allows Public Safety and Security officers to be available to students and employees at the touch of a button. 

Rave Guardian, also known as LindenGuard, is a free app available to anyone with a Lindenwood email account. 

The app has several helpful features, including the capability to text Public Safety officers instead of calling them. 

“Having the ability to communicate with Public Safety without having to have a phone conversation is something that may make it easier to report,” Coordinator of Clery Compliance and Public Safety Paula Stewart said. “Sometimes it is easier to type words and communicate that way than it is to have a conversation.” 

This capability allows for someone to report a problem or incident in a safe and private way. 

“Once the tickets [tips/conversations] are cleared, they are removed from the user’s phone, so in a domestic violence situation, there is no evidence that a conversation took place,” Stewart said.  

Another function the app has is the safety timer. According to a printout provided by Public Safety, students and employees can set a timer with their current location along with their destination location and the amount of time it will take to get to the destination. If the timer goes off and is not deactivated, a previously selected “guardian” will be notified.  

Users can add friends and family members as guardians on the app to allow for easy communication. If something were to go wrong, guardians can be notified directly through the app. 

According to Stewart, users can also upload photos to send to Public Safety in the event on an assault, suspicious person or any other incident.  

Public Safety and Security has taken other measures to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. 

Security officers are available 24 hours a day to provide students and employees an escort anywhere on campus if they are feeling uncomfortable. 

There are also 17 emergency phones throughout campus which are marked with a blue light. Pushing the button on the phone will alert officers of the location and flash the blue light.  

According to Director of Public Safety John Bowman, security officers are always available to answer any questions or address any concerns from both students and employees. 

To download the app, search for Rave Guardian in the App or Google Play store.