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the
gateway
www.thegatewayonline.ca
October 3, 2012
Alana Willerton photos by Tianbo Liu
written by
On Patrol with
W
hen darkness falls on the U of A campus, Safewalk is the school’s eyes and ears — and when you need it, they’re your walk home too. Dressed in their signature bright yellow and black jackets with walkie-talkies to their lips, volunteers from the free accompaniment service offer friendly company and peace of mind for anyone travelling the university campus and surrounding community at night.
Pairs of Safewalk volunteers patrol on and either side of her down the steps to the LRT around campus almost every night of the platform. The conversation between the three week, walking home clients who may have a flows easily as they discuss their upcoming late night class, worry about traveling alone midterms, before dropping Commandeur off in the dark or just want some company. Their at her door. On the LRT back to the university, two purpose, Safewalk Director Evan Worman and Associate Director Christine Patterson peace officers board to check transit passes. explain, is to provide a sense of security Walking past Worman and Patterson, they don’t bother to ask for their pass, instead through safety in numbers. “Everything we do is pointed towards the greeting them with a smile and a pat on the same thing, and that is community safety,” shoulder. It’s a reaction that isn’t out of the explains Worman. “Not just for students, but ordinary for Safewalkers, who have built a for all members of our community — by trying strong relationship with local law enforcement since the proto enhance this gram’s beginnings area and make it “I personally feel comfortable on in the early ‘90s. a much safer place While Patterson for everyone. I feel campus. I’d like other people to have says they do get that were we not that same sense of security.” checked for their to have Safewalk, passes it would be a det~Christine Patterson transit o c c a s i on a l l y, riment to the feelAssociate Director, Safewalk most of the offiings of safety on cers already know campus.” “I personally feel comfortable on campus,” what they’re up to. “People see the walkie-talkies and the jackPatterson adds. “I’d like other people to have ets and they don’t mess with us,” she laughs. that same sense of security.” Emerging from the LRT station at the uniEvery Safewalk volunteer is required to complete at least one shift per week, and versity, Worman gets in contact with the Worman and Patterson are no exception. By dispatcher back at the Safewalk office using the time they step out for the start of their their team colour for the night. “Purple to dispatch, over.” own 8–11 p.m. Thursday shift, the sky is “This is dispatch, over.” already dark and the sidewalks are lit only “10-1, we’re back at the university. Over.” by streetlamps. The two longtime volunteers “10-4, have a good walk. Over.” have their first client right off the bat: Danielle After checking in, the pair have some time Commandeur, who stops by the Safewalk office after her Linguistics night class. She to burn before meeting their next scheduled asks to be accompanied as she rides the LRT pick up at 9:30 p.m., so they patrol HUB, one home, admitting with a laugh that “it can be a of the more high-traffic areas of campus even at night. They find the combined shopping bit creepy down there.” A former volunteer with Safewalk at the mall and student residence quiet this time, University of Calgary, Commandeur knows with only a handful of remaining students the drill as Worman and Patterson walk leaving their night classes.
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Volume 103, Issue 5
Walking the length of the building, they reach the corner of the mall where a shooting took the lives of three G4S security officers this summer. It’s a poignant memory for Safewalk, as two of their own volunteers were the first on the scene the night of the tragedy. Worman says the incident has refueled the fire for Safewalkers to help the campus community feel safe, and despite the shock of that night, he hasn’t heard of any concerns from volunteers regarding their own safety. “(Our volunteers) know that they are here on campus for when things happen and to help out with it. They’ve been very supportive, especially of the two volunteers who were there that night,” says Worman. After pausing for a moment at the spot of the shooting, they go to meet their 9:30 p.m. appointment, a regularly scheduled walk every week. “Purple to dispatch, we’ve picked up our walker,” Worman murmurs into the walkietalkie. The duo greets Alesha Starchuk, a first-year student who’s booked a Safewalk accompaniment after each of her three night classes since starting at the U of A this September. After introducing themselves, Patterson and Starchuk realize they share a class together, and the walk to Starchuk’s home is a lively one, full of excited chatter about their class. But for Starchuk, who is new to the area, the friendly accompaniment also means she can breathe easily, knowing a familiar face is willing to make sure she gets home safely.
“(Safewalk) is easy and I feel more at ease occasionally. After a quick walk through when I use it,” she says. “Everyone’s been Lister, they head past the bus depot and really nice, and you get to know them and behind HUB. As they walk, a parked peace actually make some friends too. It’s like, officer’s car flashes its lights at the two vol‘Hey, I know you and now we’re walking unteers, who give a wave back in response. The officers pull up beside them. home together.’ ” “How’s your night so far?” Worman and On the walk, the group hears someone cry Patterson greet the officers. out from a few metres behind them. “So far, it’s been pretty quiet,” return the “Do you need help?” Worman calls out to the woman, who shakes her head from side two officers, who stay to chat for a minute before driving off to continue their own to side in response. While the situation is a false alarm, it’s patrol. Worman explains that a few of the campus indicative of the helpful nature of Safewalk: always on the lookout for those in need. With peace officers act as a liaison for Safewalk, their services known on such a wide level a collaboration that has only strengthened their presence over now, Worman says the years. They’ve their presence has also managed to become a reassur“They know that if they’re out and about foster relationing one for those on campus and they scream, there’s ships with some of on campus even if going to be a Safewalker to hear them. the officers, who they don’t actually are more than supneed their help. They know that we’ll be there.” portive of what “They know that if they’re out and ~Evan Worman Safewalk is trying to accomplish. about on campus Director, Safewalk With the end of and they scream, their shift in sight, there’s going to the two volunteers be a Safewalker to hear them. They know that we’ll be there,” begin to head back towards the Safewalk Worman says. “If they know they’re going office in SUB. On the way, Patterson points to be studying late and need to go down to out cherry trees near CAB that students Clareview, they know that we’re here. That can actually eat the fruit off, adding that makes people feel safe and comfortable on there’s even a cork tree on campus. Full of random tidbits of information and facts, campus, and that’s what we’re going for.” The team drops Starchuk off at her home Patterson claims this is how Safewalkers and starts to patrol campus once again, manage to pass the nights, which can their walkie-talkies crackling with activity sometimes be long and uneventful.
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“Safewalk knows about a lot of cool stuff on campus,” Patterson laughs. “Did you know if you stand on the circle in the middle of the alumni walk and talk at SUB it will echo? Stuff like that. It doesn’t get boring because you find all kinds of random things about campus.” “We have our own games too, like counting the bunnies,” Worman adds. “It seems a little bit futile, but in the four years I’ve been here, the bunny population has been growing. People come in with bigger numbers every time.” It’s been a quieter Thursday night shift than usual — Worman says they generally receive upwards of 30 calls on a Thursday night — but despite that, Patterson and Worman deem the shift a quiet success. While they’ve both spent years volunteering for Safewalk, their confidence in what the organization does for the university campus and community hasn’t diminished with time. If anything, the grateful responses they’ve received from satisfied clients has more than reassured them that Safewalk is on the right track, leaving them optimistic that its presence will continue to make the campus a safer place for years to come. “It’s extremely fulfilling, it really is,” smiles Worman. “The amount of people that you get to walk — and usually when you do walk them, they’ll tell you a bit about why you’re walking them and you’ll say, ‘Well yeah, that is pretty sketchy, I’d have called Safewalk too.’ That’s always fairly heartwarming to hear.”
safewalk info Safewalk boundaries are from 91 Street (near Campus Saint-Jean) to the East, 72 Avenue and the University farm to the South and to the banks of the North Saskatchewan River to the North and West. They will also ride with a client on the bus to Michener Park and will walk within five blocks of any LRT station. Safewalk’s hours from Sept. 5–Jan. 9 run 7 p.m.–12:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and 7–11 p.m. on Sundays. To use Safewalk, call 780-4-WALK-ME (780-492-5563), approach any patrolling team on campus or visit their office in room 030-E on the lower level of the Students’ Union Building and talk to a dispatcher in person.