To help eliminate potentially unsafe situations for students, faculty and staff as they move  across the campus’ more than 2,000 acres, the University Police Department provides a safety escort service to protect during the hours of darkness on campus.

Mike Mullins, an officer with Campus Police, said the safety escort service is a courtesy for students that does its best to locate students and safely assist them to their destinations, whether they walk or drive.

He said Campus Police will assist students after hours for more than just escorting.

“Most students don’t know that we will come unlock or jump start their cars if needed after hours,” Mullins said.

Kristen Picot, a freshman majoring in biological sciences, said first-year students may be unaware or unsure of the escort system.

“We’re freshman and we’re still getting used to everything so we’re a hesitant to

use safety escort,” Picot said.

Mullins said the majority of students who use the escort service are women, but some males use the service as well.

“I know girls that use it often, and the guys I know that use it are usually just drunk,” Skylar McMahon, a sophomore in criminology, said.

The escort service is also used to avoid the rain.

“When it was dark and raining and I had to walk from Avent Ferry to North Hall, I always called a safety escort,” Angie Rodriguez, a sophomore in criminology, said.

Contracted security guards provide a driving safety escort to outer areas of campus, including the Vet School, the Avent Ferry Complex and Centennial Campus.

“Sometimes the wait took up to an hour then other times it only took 10 minutes,” Rodriguez said.

Once the request for an escort has been made, the response time for an escort is approximately 10 to 15 minutes according to campus police.

The escort service tries to prioritize requests; individuals and those at remote locations may take priority over groups and those in buildings.

Mullins said, “Every situation varies and the escorts tend to be delayed depending on the distance and occasionally rain.”

“We are here for the students and we typically do not deny even the smallest request,” he said.

Response time may also depend upon demand and time of night.  Safety escorts are limited to groups of no more than three people at a time.

Sometimes the escorts can’t find the students and vice versa.

Contracted security guards can be identified by their white and black uniforms designated by “Budd Security Group,” as well as the Budd Security Group Safety Escort vehicle.

According to the University’s policies, rules and regulations, the Department of Public Safety is designated the campus law enforcement agency for North Carolina State University as described in N.C. General Statute 116-40.5 and has all the powers and authority described in the statute.

Campus Police is governed by the Department of Environmental Health and Public Safety, meaning the students support this program through student fees.