Police officers, maintenance workers and others have been enlisted to systematically observe the campus’s exterior lights to make sure all are working properly, and to get them fixed quickly if they are not.

Also, students are asked to come out for a safety walk on Wednesday, March 9, to check for malfunctioning lights and to identify areas that may need more lighting. And all members of the campus community are encouraged to report lighting outages and other security deficiencies.

“Keeping campus safe takes a concentrated effort by each and every one of us,” Matt Carmichael, police chief, and Allen Tollefson, assistant vice chancellor, Facilities Management, said in an open letter Friday (Feb. 19), advising the campus community of efforts to ensure lighting systems on campus are functioning appropriately.

“The long-term strategy will include quick reporting and correction as well as the review for the installation of new lighting," Tollefseon and Carmichael wrote.

They said they issued the letter in response to campus safety concerns raised in various forums in the wake of a suspected hate crime in the early morning hours of Feb. 15 in UC Davis West Village.

“One of the concerns about campus safety is lighting which will be addressed in this open letter. Other safety concerns will be addressed in subsequent letters and future actions in partnership with the community," the letter stated.

The letter described these actions:

• The Police Department will assign its Aggie Hosts to conduct a strategic review of campus lighting over the next several weeks, and to report all malfunctioning lights to Facilities Management, which will expedite repairs. Aggie Hosts (students) provide security and support at campus events, and run the Police Department’s Safe Ride service.
• Facilities Management will direct its maintenance staff and custodians, to report all malfunctioning lights. Groundskeepers will join in this effort.

Safety walk: March 9

The safety walk, as in past years, will focus on the campus core. Students will work in teams with police officers., who will record lighting deficiencies and report them to Facilities Management. Meet-up time is 6:30 p.m. at the flagpole on the Memorial Union’s South Patio. Hot chocolate and snacks will be served before the walk. Take note: Wear comfortable shoes. For more information about the safety walk, contact Linda Schlager-McKenna by phone, 530-752-3104, or email, laschlager@ucdavis.edu.

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