The ISU police’s spring campaign is in full swing with Veishea just around the corner.

The theme for this campaign is “see something, say something,” and Frank the Flamingo, the campaign’s mascot, is making his third appearance since the campaigns started in 2006.

The spring campaign, which is a collaboration between the ISU Police, Ames Police and the City of Ames, is intended to inform students about how to be a better bystander in the event of a situation and how to remain safe during Veishea.

“The campaign was started after the riots in 2004, and the collaboration was formed between us and the city of Ames,” said ISU Police Lieutenant Elliott Florer. “We want to be proactive instead of having to be reactive.”

This year’s campaign purpose is to get people more comfortable intervening in a situation that they see happening or calling the police to intervene.

Officers are encouraging students to program the non-emergency phone numbers for the Ames Police and ISU Police into their phones.

“The non-emergency phone number allows people to have that extra resource to use for something that might not be as urgent,” said ISU Police Officer Anthony Greiter. “People are more willing to call these numbers instead of 911; they feel more comfortable.”

Frank the Flamingo, who has made appearances in 2006, 2012 and 2013, has become the face of the campaign and has his own Facebook page. He appears on T-shirts and magnets, which officers hand out.

The ISU Police have already hosted two public events this month to promote the campaign, one at Parks Library and another at the fire station on Welch Avenue. The two events have been very popular, Florer said.

The department ordered 2,500 shirts for the campaign, and only a few remain.

For the week prior to Veishea, ISU officers will be going around to greek houses, residence halls and other student organizations, giving safety presentations and answering any questions.

“We want to impact as many people as possible,” Greiter said. “I have four presentations this week, and I am one of 35 officers.”

Greiter pointed out that during these presentations, officers receive a lot of situational questions from students, questions like, ‘What can happen if I do this?’ and ‘What can I do to avoid this?’ He also said that students tend to share past stories about their experiences with officers.

Besides promoting safety during Veishea and bystander intervention, the spring campaign couples with sexual assault awareness month.

The ISU Police promote awareness for this by hosting an event where they cover a squad car in magnets and produce magnets with contact information on where to get help.

For students, Greiter offered some advice for them to think about during Veishea.

“Have fun, but do it safely,” Greiter said. “Try to stay in groups and try to have a sober friend with you to monitor the situation and to keep people in check.”