By Emily Nascimento

While some use the WalkSafe program, many Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students say they have never used WalkSafe, raising questions on its effectiveness and visibility on campus.

WalkSafe is a free program that partners students with security guards, who escort them where they need to go.

To use the WalkSafe service, students can send a text message to their number, which will send a uniformed guard to their location.

“Our campus is located at one of the busiest intersections in the country…This means that challenges in the broader downtown community also materialize on campus,” said a representative for TMU’s community safety and security team.

“Walksafe is considered a priority call and dispatched immediately,” they said.

The university said they track WalkSafe requests to confirm requests received and completed. They said they have no plans to make changes to the program and said they have not received any negative feedback, but they encouraged the community to share their experiences with the service.

Johanna Minga, a first-year creative industries student who has used the service before, said it was helpful during late hours.

“At the time I was living on Jarvis Street… [and] some of my courses would wrap up late…It just made me feel more comfortable going home at that hour,” she said.

“I have an app that sends me crime alerts and it pings constantly, so it just makes me feel more comfortable [knowing I] have someone [to] walk me home,” said Minga.

However, some students on campus haven’t used this service themselves, sharing how they heard about it through friends and classmates, or not at all.

Emerson Setto, a second-year English student, said promotion might play a part in students’ lack of knowledge.

“They promote it at orientation events and whatnot with [the] business cards that they give,” said Setto, “But that being said, I feel like there could be a bit more of a push to encourage the system.”

Sunny Poonwassie, a second-year aerospace engineering student hasn’t used the program because she normally walks with friends, but has seen a student use it before. She thinks WalkSafe is an important program.

“I think it works well [not only for] defense, but the fact that someone’s with you, it kind of scares off other people that might want to [do harm],” said Poonwassie.

However, Poonwassie says it would be nice if the school extends the route of the service.

“I know it is a lot to ask but there are some shady areas like Sherbourne and such,” she said.

Santiago Gomez, a third-year electrical engineering student agreed. He said TMU security guards should be present at TMU station to safely escort students to and from campus.

“[It’s] the best place for people to know that it exists.”