On February 12, 2025, the University Police Department (UPD) investigated two incidents of malicious mischief and burglary in Edens Hall North. An unknown individual pried open cabinets and drawers in the front desk area of the building. No items were reported missing.
Later that same night, at 2 a.m., a suspect entered a student dorm room, briefly walked around, and returned shortly afterward to steal jackets hanging near the door.
Students have since expressed feelings about the safety of campus, with some voicing concerns about the balance between safety and maintaining an open, inclusive campus atmosphere. Second-year business student Angelina Kukkonen is among these students.
“I feel like our campus is relatively safe,” Kukkonen said. “I think there could be a little more safety precautions. Those buttons that you can press if you feel unsafe on campus, half the time they don’t work or they’re shut down.”
Katy Potts, the chief of University Police, addressed the blue light phones, which have been out of service for some time.
“This is antiquated technology and response,” Potts said. “The vast majority of our campus community has a phone in their hand or pocket that can perform the same function, which wasn't the case when the blue-light phones were put in decades ago.”
In response to this, a new form of technology called Western Safe has hit the app store.
The app is intended “to replace the phones, provide added features that the phones never had, and provide a more comprehensive safety resource for the campus community,” Potts said.
The app will allow users to contact emergency resources, access mental health resources, report suspicious activity, request a safety escort, request motorist assistance, report graffiti and have a friend virtually walk with them, among others.
According to UPD, these upgrades will ensure that Western is prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to critical situations. The app can be downloaded from the Emergency Management & Business Continuity website.
Alysia Halpin is currently a pre-nursing student at Whatcom Community College (WCC) but attended Western for a year. Halpin talked about the comparison of safety measures taken at each campus.
“I feel like Western is a lot more prepared for the students that they have because of the Starlight Shuttle and those services at night that were able to provide a safe ride home once the buses had stopped for the night,” Halpin said. “Whatcom does not offer that.”
Western is taking significant steps to bolster campus safety with new initiatives aimed at providing a more secure environment for students, faculty and staff.
In addition to technological upgrades, Western has also streamlined its emergency response systems by partnering with What-Comm 911, a countywide dispatch service that consolidates emergency services for Whatcom County. The transition, which was completed in January 2025 in response to a university-wide structural budget deficit, will cut costs and improve communication between campus police and local emergency services, ensuring faster response times during critical incidents.
The university is committed to maintaining open lines of communication with students and faculty throughout the process, and administrators have promised to continue evaluating campus safety policies to ensure they meet community needs.
As the university moves forward with these enhancements, Western hopes to create a safer campus environment while also ensuring that it remains a vibrant, inclusive place for students to learn and grow.
“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance safety on campus, and we welcome student input on how we can improve our services and better serve the university community,” said Potts.
Kaitlyn Ward (she/her) is a senior at Western. She is a newswriting & editorial journalism major getting her minor in psychology. You can most likely find her making coffee or going on hikes! You can reach her at wardk25@wwu.edu.
