Blue Light System A Big Mystery To Students

The orange call boxes  are spread throughout Howard's campus are not for decoration, but for safety precautions.
 
According to the Crime Awareness and Campus Security 2004 Annual Report issued by Howard Campus Police, the Blue Light Emergency Telephone  System is a network system that directly connects students to Campus Police when reporting emergencies.

The report explains that when the system, which is maintained by  Howard's  Physical Facilities Management department is activated,  Campus Police are automatically notified  of the geographical spot of the caller through the Campus Police Department Radio Dispatch Center.

Some students on Howard's campus feel uninformed about the Blue Light System and question the likelihood of it working.
"Blue Light what?" said Brendon Henderson, freshman marketing major.

Several Howard students like Henderson are unaware of what the Blue Light System is and how it operates. Henderson actually thought that the orange boxes were for administrative use.

"I'm sure that it has the potential to be helpful and I guess I'll find out once I figure out how it works," Henderson said.

There are 112 emergency call boxes identified by blue lights located on campus according to the Crime Awareness and Campus Security 2004 Annual Report.

Junior broadcast journalism major, Desiree Smith, said that the Blue Light System does not make her feel safe on campus and that she thinks that the amount of money that students pay for campus security is not well-utilized through the system.

"I have never heard of anyone using the system," Smith said. "Every time I walk past the box, I hear a voice saying that it is out of service."

Smith also is not certain that the system will actually help her especially if she is attacked or robbed in a location where there are no call boxes.

"There has to be another way to monitor the safety of Howard students on campus," she said.

James Robinson, sophomore undecided  major,  believes that  having more working call boxes on campus would solve Smith's issue and eliminate a lot of crimes on campus.

Robinson said the call boxes are too small for new students to identify and too far away from the main areas where students usually hang out.    

"I don't think the Blue Light System works," Robinson said. He said that he has observed students playing around and pressing the buttons for fun and has seen nothing happen.

Campus Police were unable to be reached regarding the Blue Light System subject matter.

For additional information about the Blue Light System, contact Campus Police at (202) 806-1100.