Northwestern State University of Louisiana is taking action to keep everyone on and off campus safe. The University Police Department works hard to ensure the safety of every student they interact with.

University Police Sgt. Matt Cassels urges students not to walk alone at night.

“I will always prefer for students to walk with a friend or a group of friends. If they have no one to walk with, they can always call campus police at any time and get a ride,” Sgt. Cassels said.

Baylon Ector, junior hospitality management and tourism major, agrees with Sgt. Cassels.
“Students are much safer when they travel in groups and keep contact with other students on campus,” Ector said. “As someone who has had to walk alone at night, it doesn’t feel uneasy because the campus police patrol throughout the night and are spaced out around campus.”

Even if a student is off-campus and feels unsafe, access to call University Police for help is always available.
Sgt. Cassels wants to inform students that the people they surround themselves with should be a positive influence on them.

“Even though it is frequently told to young adults, it is necessary for students to never drink and drive or do drugs,” Sgt. Cassels said.
University Affairs gives every student access to a “Campus Safety 101” video by Jon Caliste, director of university safety, to further educate students on how to make smart choices and take precautions for their safety.

“Safety is about making sure you’re going to be okay,” Caliste said. “It is crucial for students to always let someone know where they are going, just in case something goes wrong.”

Caliste claims that physical safety shouldn’t be the only thing taken into consideration, and that social media safety is just as important.
According to Caliste, posting something harmful has the ability to come back around in the future. For instance, potential employers may run a background check, checking not only on criminal records but social media presence as well.

“What you said or posted, even though you may delete it, it’s still going to be there,” Caliste said.
During the chaos of beginning semesters, University Affairs and the University Police Department urge all students, faculty and staff to remember that safety is important in everyone’s lives.

For more information on campus safety, visit the University Affairs page at https://www.nsula.edu/universityaffairs/. The 24-hour phone line for University Police can be reached at 318-357-5431.