Addressing some common misbeliefs about SafeWalk

TO THE EDITOR:

We would like to address a few common misconceptions regarding the SafeWalk program.

Indeed, the program does not currently walk students off campus, with the exception of Granville Towers and Greek housing.

Expanding to off-campus areas has been the intention from the very start, but serving off-campus areas is inherently more complex and places greater demand on SafeWalk and its employees. This first semester is designed to help us ensure our system functions efficiently and our staffing level can handle the demand before expanding.

We will be constantly evaluating our capacity to expand coverage off-campus, and we intend to do so as soon as is feasible. And while walking intoxicated students home is not SafeWalk’s primary intent, we will walk students as long as it is safe for them to walk; otherwise, we will find them a way home — i.e., the P2P.

Duke’s SafeRides, while a useful program, costs almost $300,000 to run as of 10 years ago and costs surely have increased since. SafeWalk’s goal is to keep spending low.

Please keep your thoughts on SafeWalk coming. We are constantly evaluating and looking for ways to improve the program, and student feedback is crucial to that process.

Jonathan Tugman
Student Body Secretary

Calvin Lewis Jr.
SafeWalk Program Manager