How safe do you feel walking home from campus at night?

One of the biggest concerns for a student on campus is safety, especially on an urban campus like Temple University.

Although the TU Police expanded its patrol area last August, the recent increase in TUalerts, crimes and violence near campus has increased concern. With more students living off campus housing, this walking home at night has become a cause for worry.

Sophomore Ethan Bitterman lives on 17^th and Fontain Street, which has been violent in the past few weeks.

He said: “I’ve seen other people feel unsafe walking home, but I personally never felt unsafe.”

But after several recent robberies on his block and on the surrounding blocks he is starting to wonder.

He said: “I prefer to walk home with other people.

“Walking home alone is a little sketchy because of the recent muggings.”

Ethan said he felt better with bike cops on the corner of his street every day after the robberies happened.

The university offers several services to help students get home safely, like a shuttle and police escort system. But many students don’t like to rely on other people or a scheduled bus route to get home. And some students are unaware of the safety programs that Temple offers.

Safety is a bigger issue for upperclassmen because most of them live off campus.

Amanda Zorzi says she ‘puts up her guard’ after TUalerts

Senior Amanda Zorzi said: “Off campus I feel fairly safe, but every time I get a TUalert I put up my guard for the next two days then I forget about it.”

Logan Krum lives off campus and takes night classes

Senior Logan Krum told The Tab: “I live off campus and take a lot of night classes so I sometimes feel uncomfortable walking home.”

Junior Carly Linline said: “I’m from Philly but live off campus at Temple.

“I feel safer walking around Temple than I do in the neighborhood I grew up in.”

‘It can be a little sketchy,’ said Patrick Henley

Junior John Patrick said: “I typically feel very safe while walking on campus, but I live a way off campus at 18th and Diamond Street, and walking home late at night alone can feel a little sketchy to me.”

A new app, Companion, allows users to easily type in their destination and choose someone to walk them home by sending the person, or group of people, a text message request to walk together with a link to a map of a route home.

If a user suddenly stops or changes direction the other person will receive a message and be able to see the change in route.

The user can call or text their “companion,” tell the app if the area is unsafe and even call the police. Once the user is home the app tells their companion.

Senior Khaliha Hawkins has used the student shuttle, The Owlloop, which runs from sunset to sunrise, but recently tried out the new app.

Hawkins said the bus takes a long time, so if you aren’t in a rush it’s an easy ride home. But her experience with Companion was easy and made her feel safe on her walk home from her friend’s house.

She told The Tab: “It’s not too bad getting home when you are with a friend, but at times when I’m alone I feel on edge.”

Khaliha thought that the app was better for her because she lives far from most of her friends off campus. The Owlloop doesn’t pick up students when they are off campus – they can only get on buses parked outside of the Tech Center.

Most students are pretty comfortable walking home, but felt better walking home with a friend. It is hard to categorize how safe the area is, because there are bursts of crime and violence and then nothing happens for a few weeks.

The past two years there have been an increase in TUalerts and violent incidents. Having another option to keep you safe while walking home, like the Companion App, gives students another way to ease their fear.