If you need help now, start here.
- If you are in danger, call 911.
- Save your campus police or public safety number in your phone before you need it.
- In New Orleans, the police non-emergency line is (504) 821-2222.
- If something has already happened, VictimConnect gives free, confidential help. Call or text 1-855-484-2846.
- If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741 to reach Crisis Text Line.
Wearable safety devices for college students fall into a few types. This guide explains what each type does, what it needs to work, and the questions to ask before you buy one. Edge Orbital hasn’t tested these products, so the guide compares how each type works rather than ranking brands.
Personal alarms make a loud sound.
A personal alarm makes a loud noise when you pull a pin or press a button. It doesn’t need a phone, an app or a subscription. It can draw attention, but it doesn’t contact anyone.
Phone-connected buttons send an alert through your phone.
Some buttons, keychains and pieces of jewelry send an alert and your location to friends or to a monitoring service. Many of them connect through your phone, so the phone has to be nearby with a signal. Some charge a monthly fee for monitoring. Check both before you buy.
Smartwatches have emergency features built in.
On an Apple Watch, Emergency SOS calls local emergency services and shares your location with them. When the call ends, the watch texts your emergency contacts your current location unless you cancel. Other smartwatches have their own emergency features, so check the maker’s support pages.
Your phone can share your walk for free.
On iPhone, Check In in Messages tells a friend when you arrive and alerts them if your trip stalls and you don’t respond. Google Location Sharing shares your real-time location with people you choose.
Ask these questions before you buy a device.
- What happens when you press it, and who gets the alert?
- Does it need your phone nearby, a cell signal or a subscription?
- How long does the battery last, and how will you know when it’s low?
- How easy is it to set off by accident, and how do you cancel a false alarm?
- What does the company do with your location data? Read the privacy policy before you share your location.
- Can you test it with a friend before you need it?
Your campus has resources that cost nothing.
Colleges that receive federal student aid must give students and employees an annual security report by October 1 each year, under the Clery Act rules. The report includes three years of campus crime statistics and the school’s safety policies. Your campus police or public safety office can also tell you about escort services and emergency phones.
Edge Orbital is developing a clip-on device.
Edge Orbital, which publishes this site, is designing a small clip-on device that would use NowScape, its software in development, to show what’s moving near you on a walk home. The device still has to be built and tested. It would not call for help or prevent a crime, and it is not a substitute for 911 or campus police.
Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article described Tripwire Recon, Edge Orbital’s iPhone app, as a safety tool. Tripwire Recon is a game and has no safety features.