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[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=physCjco9BU] 

A last month have left students at the University of Colorado on edge. In each incident, female students have been targeted by male suspects. The Boulder Police department has yet to make arrests in the cases.

While those who committed the crimes are still out there, the university is working hard to protect the campus. What a lot of students don’t know is that CU is employing students to keep an eye out on their peers.

It’s becoming routine for universities to employ student security guards to serve as for the police officers on campus. At CU Boulder, student security guards can’t intervene in dangerous situations, as they aren’t police officers. However, their job is to survey the grounds and report any suspicious behavior to the CU Police Department.

Jesse Hines has been a UMC Security Guard for two years, and he loves his job. While he’s an engineering student with no interest in pursuing a career in the police force, he enjoys working side by side with the campus police department.

“The CUPD is always just one call radio call away. So, we are more eyes and ears,” said Hines.

And extra eyes and ears are especially beneficial now that the sun is setting sooner during these winter months. The darker it is, the more unsafe humans tend to feel walking around outdoors. The fear of the dark is an ancient one, as humans evolved we in order to survive real-life predators lurking in the night.

“I think as people we’re just scared of what we can’t see”, concluded Alondra Palomino, Integrative Physiology major at CU.

During the month of November, the sun is setting in Boulder. For students who get the jitters walking to and from their night classes in the dark, there are alternatives. For starters, you can call the non-emergency number for the CUPD. The non-emergency number is 303-492-6666.

“If we have somebody who’s available we’ll send somebody to walk with you,” stated  CUPD Spokesperson, Scott Pribble.

For anything off campus, students are encouraged to take advantage of CU Night Ride, or the RTD bus system, both of which are free for students. But if you must walk in the dark, students are being advised to stay vigilant.

For Palomino, “I just take my headphones out so I’m aware of my surroundings. And I tend to walk a little bit faster.”

However, if you have any serious safety concerns, you can call or text 911. The police department advises calling if you can and texting if you must.