The Department of Public Safety is taking measures to give students the best plan of action for staying safe, as well as what to do if you do feel unsafe.  

New experiences on campus and recent incidents have motivated emails by CCU’s Department of Public Safety, as they are working hard to ensure that students are getting the safety they deserve on campus. There are different general safety tips Public Safety has given for students, faculty, and staff.  

Olivia Burkhalter, sophomore at CCU, said she felt unsafe on campus at night and the Teal Mobile has helped her.   

“I am a huge fan of the Teal Mobile ride on campus. It is much safer than walking,” Burkhalter said. 

Knowing that burglaries and other instances have happened in the community, Major Robert Pellerin, Assistant Director of the Department of Public Safety, said he wants everyone to take control of their safety. He said he felt it was necessary to put out some guidelines to follow for those on and off campus.  

Pellerin said it takes the contributions of the community to make sure people are on their toes and remembering safety tips.  

“We take campus safety very seriously, and we actively patrol the area on campus and surrounding areas,” said Pellerin. “And we try to be out as much as we can with maintaining a higher presence on campus. But we do as much as we can in the off-campus community as well.” 

He said if a threat were to occur on campus, students would be notified to avoid the area. In some cases, students should stay in the area depending on the case or threat, and that students can rely on Public Safety, Pellerin said. 

He said police car patrolling, foot patrol areas, and a large presence of cameras on campus ensure safety for all areas. Pellerin encourages students to use the CCU Alert system as well, which provides fast updates of a campus emergency or threat. 

“Have a plan ahead of time, it will better prepare you for staying out of unsafe situations,” Pellerin said. 

Public Safety experts suggest students stay in the know with their CCU Alert system. This alert system is not only for students, but also for faculty, staff, and parents. They said students should never walk alone at night and to use a buddy system of two or more people. 

Contact CCU’s Department of Public Safety at 843-349-2911 regarding any suspicious activity on campus, or 911 off-campus.