Iowa State’s nationally accredited public safety department works around the clock to make the ISU campus as safe as possible.

The ISU Department of Public Safety is the only university accredited law-enforcement agency in Iowa. University of Northern Iowa and University of Iowa officials cite money as the main reason they are not accredited.

“Our department is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies,” said Jerry Stewart, interim director for DPS at Iowa State. “We are firmly committed to the concepts of accreditation and believe it helps strengthen virtually every department process.”

Accreditation ensures that the DPS at Iowa State meets or exceeds 439 nationally developed standards, he said.

Two student-oriented DPS programs have received national recognition, Stewart said.

The Story County Sexual Response Team, coordinated by Julie Harders, enhanced the response to sexual assault types of incidences, he said. In addition, the Threat Assessment Management, managed by DPS Capt. Gene Deisinger, aims to prevent concerns from developing into problems.

All three universities offer an escort service. The ISU escort service is for students who don’t feel safe about walking on campus alone, Steve Hasstedt, DPS Lt. said. Last semester, DPS averaged 18 requests for the escort service per night, Stewart said.

The service runs from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and can be reached at 294-4444.

“We are especially appreciative of the GSB funding provided to purchase golf carts, which often are used to provide on-campus transports,” Stewart said.

The escort program at the University of Iowa, however, isn’t as popular as the program at Iowa State.

“The program itself is successful, but it isn’t used as much as we would like it to be used,” said Duane Papke, associate director for DPS at Iowa. “I don’t know what the problem is, but we would like to see better numbers than what we currently have.”

In order to receive a campus escort, students cannot be intoxicated, Papke said.

If someone feels they are being followed while they are walking on campus, Hasstedt said they should “go to a public place and don’t be afraid to yell – bring attention to yourself.”

Students should walk in groups and travel in will lit areas, he said. To prevent burglaries, the best thing for a student to do is register his or her belongings, including bikes and cars, Papke said.

Expensive valuables should be placed in a safe or bank vault, he said.

Carrying mace or pepper spray, however, isn’t recommended.

“A lot of times for [mace] to be effective, you have to have it ready to use at anytime,” Hasstedt said.

“You can get [the mace or pepper spray] on yourself or [the predator] can use it on you.”