Fourth-year College students Benjamin Sachs and Stewart Ackerly introduced a student initiative titled the Neighborhood Watch Program in an effort to increase nighttime security.
"Right now there appears to be a real security problem across Grounds and we wanted to try something new," Sachs said.
The program sends out two student patrol teams every night between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. to escort students walking alone and to report any criminal behavior to the Charlottesville and University police, Sachs said.
Each co-ed team has three members.
"Their responsibility is to help be the eyes and ears of the University, but the safety of the students patrolling is our first priority," Sachs said.
The program currently consists of student volunteers and is self funded, Sachs said. Because the program is only in its pilot stage, it plans to be in effect for only three weeks. Long-term plans will be decided based on an evaluation at the end of the pilot stage, he said.
Students participating in the program said they feel it will help address safety issues as well as recent racial incidents.
"I think it's a good way for the students to show that they're not going to tolerate what's been going on in a very tangible way," fourth-year College student Jim Broyles said.
Broyles participated in the program because of encouragement from his friends, he said.
"It's been a great experience," Broyles said. "It's been reassuring to see the people we walk home be very thankful."
According to Sachs, University Police Officer Becky Campbell addressed 60 students at a meeting Thursday about how to accomplish their goals more efficiently. The program is receiving support from University Police and staff, he said.
"I think that's a wonderful adjunct because it complements many of the new initiatives that the University has put into place this year, through the extended bus hours and the escort service and the police foot patrols in certain key areas where students gather on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays," University spokesperson Carol Wood said.
Although the program is not trying to replace police officers, it is trying to show there is a student presence at night on Grounds, Sachs said.
"We're trying to say that students are protecting students," he said. "We're trying to deter those that would be instigators and trying to make students feel safer knowing that there are more people watching out for them"
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