The Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) hosted the annual Campus Safety Day on Wednesday on Skiles Walkway. In attendance were the Women’s Resource Center, the Office of Information Technology (OIT), Health Promotion, and the Counseling Center. Several off-campus institutions, including the Georgia State Patrol and the Humane Society also attended.
“We have a lot of tables and booths to help students educate themselves on how to keep…safe, physically [and] mentally… around Atlanta and around Georgia Tech,” said Officer Bradley Latham.
Some events included the horse-mounted patrol of the Atlanta Police Department.
“It’s really a conversation starter,” Latham said. “As they are riding around…people come up and ask questions, [so] it’s an opportunity for officers to stop and talk.”
This APD mounted patrol is often used at large events in Atlanta for crowd control.
Health Services also invited students to try drunk goggles, which show how excess alcohol consumption affects perception. Students were also asked to sign a pledge to never drive drunk.
“It was really great to see how many other students had also signed it,” said Rebecca Hu, a second-year chemistry student who participated in the event.
Students were reminded that they can play a greater role in preventing theft by being more aware of their surroundings.
“A lot of times, students fail to realize that [theft is our] number one crime on campus,” Latham said. “What we typically do is try to educate them on how easy it is to protect [themselves] by trying to reduce the opportunity by leaving belongings unattended or unsecured.”
In addition, the Atlanta Fire Department provided information on checking fire alarms. According to the fire department, people often take smoke detectors for granted and fail to maintain them properly.
“It’s a very simple process, very simple tool, but you do have to take care of it and check it yourself,” said Lieutenant Jared Purinton of the Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department.
At this event, VOICE, Tech’s initiative for sexual assault prevention and victim advocacy also had a booth that provided education on how students not directly affected by these crimes could still prevent them by being an active bystander.