The blue light emergency callboxes on University of Maine’s campus that have symbolized security for students on campus for decades could become a thing of the past.
The 32 outdoor lights that dot campus walkways each house a callbox that connects directly to the UMaine Police Department, which students can use in case of an emergency.
But due to rising maintenance costs in recent years and the opportunity to switch to updated technology, UMaine’s Campus Security Committee is now researching alternatives to the “outdated” 20-year-old callboxes, UMaine Police Chief William Flagg said.
There are no plans yet to replace or remove the blue lights.
“We have to look at the cost of maintenance versus the cost of replacing,” Flagg said. If the university is spending more money to fix them than to buy new ones, it makes sense to consider replacing them, he added.
The university could not say how much it has spent on repairing the blue lights in recent years because the costs are not itemized, spokesperson Marcus Wolf said.
Colleges across the country have phased out the blue-light system because of rising upkeep costs and limited use as students use their cellphones in emergencies. UMaine students, however, are pushing back against the idea and are telling the administration that they want the blue lights, or a similar system, to remain.
The boxes are not commonly used, but Flagg said they’re still a piece of campus safety that is available when needed.
“Are they an item that’s used often? No, they’re not. But, they are a resource that’s there. And from a security mindset, we hope they’re never used, because they’re used if something’s wrong,” Flagg said.
The university doesn’t track call data from the callboxes, Wolf said.
In addition to the blue lights, UMaine’s campus uses Black Bear Safe, an app managed by the UMaine Police Department that allows users to contact 911, access emergency notifications and use location tracking from UMaine police, along with other campus safety resources.
Colleges that have phased out their blue light systems have used similar apps as the main emergency notification system on campus. Flagg said the Black Bear Safe app has been getting “good reviews” since it was implemented and it has been used in “some real life scenarios in the past few weeks where it’s been used and used very successfully.”
Flagg met with the campus safety committee this week to discuss their options, he said.
Carter Emerson, vice president of UMaine’s graduate student government, sent a survey to students last week asking their thoughts on the blue light system and safety on campus after learning about the possible change.
The survey gathered 675 responses from graduate and undergraduate students, with many saying they want a physical option and don’t fully trust a digital app for safety, Emerson said.
Others indicated they didn’t want to rely on having a working phone and an internet connection, Emerson said, with less than 50% of respondents saying they would have their phone available during an emergency.
Graduate student government members presented the survey data to university administration on Tuesday, Emerson said.
“Student safety should not be something that is communicated from a money perspective,” Emerson said in response to the university’s stance that the callboxes have become a budget issue. “It should be a keeping-people-safe perspective,” he said.