Crime rates are rising in the city of Edmonton, according to Edmonton Police Service and Statistics Canada. A 15 per cent increase in sexually motivated crimes as well as a 71 per cent increase in hate crimes over the last three years are just a small part of a bigger picture.
NAIT students and staff may feel uneasy when walking home or to their vehicles. As a solution to this problem, NAIT offers Safe Walk–a program provided by protective services. The safe walk program is available to both NAIT students and staff members, and it can be used as an extra precaution when walking to a destination feels unsafe.
To book a safe walk, call or email protective services and a peace officer will be available as an escort. There are also some virtual toptions for those who are heading off campus. On the NAITAlert app, the “virtual safe walk” settings allows protective services to virtually track locations and know when participants have arrived at their destination. Clicking the emergency button will call protective services directly.
There’s also a ‘friend walk,’ which connects participant’s locations to one of their contacts and offers an emergency call if disconnected. These services can be used 24/7 for any cause, even walking to a class.
