UNC students start safety program for peace of mind on campus

With a national spotlight on college campus safety after the death of a student at the University of Georgia, it's worth taking a look at campus security in the Triangle.

At UNC-Chapel Hill, some students are taking safety into their own hands, just months after an on-campus shooting killed one person and sent shockwaves through the town.

A program called SafeWalk is exactly what it sounds like, providing a safe walk home for any student or faculty member who requests one.

These student employees gather at libraries Sunday through Thursday nights and offer a buddy system option to people from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Graduate student Nick Chappell is the current program manager. He also attended undergrad here, so he's been involved in this program for six years now.

Chappell said it's about more than safety, but also building relationships and being there to listen to other students who may need someone to talk to.

"I kind of fell in love with it," Chappell said. "Just the connection you get to make with your peers and seeing campus in a different way, I think there's a lot of parts of campus that I never would've got to see if not for this program."

One new feature in the last year is these employees now have radios with an instant line to the UNC Police 911 center.

Chappell said that's been a comfort.

The program is in addition to other safety measures, including the Carolina Ready app, lighting on campus at night, and emergency call boxes that have a direct line to 911 if anyone needs help.