Students indifferent to new safety app

The Otterbein Safe app launched on Nov. 5 to expand upon safety resources listed in OtterNet and compile them all in one place. 

There was a much quicker round of promotion for Otterbein Safe than there was for OtterNet: a couple of emails in the month prior to its release, flyers, and tabling. Still, students don’t seem to care or even know about the new app.

Addie Settle, a freshman nursing major, said that she saw the app mentioned in her dorm’s weekly newsletter and “might” download it. A poll conducted on T&C Media’s Instagram showed that only 11% of respondents said they would download Otterbein Safe. 67% said that they wouldn’t download it, and 22% said they hadn’t even heard about it.

The app has contact buttons for resources, campus maps, anonymous tip reporting, and emergency action plans. However, the most prominent feature of the app is the Friend Walk feature, which allows users to share their location with a trusted contact for a limited time. Similarly, the “I’m OK” feature lets users quickly send a message with their location to their trusted contacts.

Tracy Benner, the director of residence life, said that the Otterbein Safe app was brought to life after a cabinet conversation regarding ways to enhance campus safety. She said the app was not created due to any specific incident, but rather “to make it [campus] as safe as it can be.”

OPD released the Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report on Sept. 25, which shows the crime reports on campus from 2022 to 2024. On Otterbein’s campus in 2024, there were four reports of rape, four reports of stalking, and one report each of dating violence, motor vehicle theft and burglary. There was also one report of an unspecified hate crime.

Out of nearly 3,000 students, these numbers point to a very low crime rate. So why would a campus like Otterbein need such an app?

Benner said that the Otterbein Safe app is for much more than just basic safety resources, although it does integrate with the preexisting RAVE alerts. It also includes several different resources for different things that students might be struggling with, such as mental health. 

According to Benner, the goal was to provide multiple ways to reach out for help in a format that is more easily accessible than a site like O-Zone. She said that this format is better for those who might be in a crisis and might not want to dig into the site to find information. 

“It shows them that there are options,” Benner said. She said that they will continue to update the app with even more resources and that students are welcome to email her at tbenner@otterbein.edu with suggestions or feedback.

---