One of the most helpful and reliable aspects of the emergency support system on campus is the availability of Public Safety officers to students in need. In case of an injury or a sudden illness, a PAPS officer almost always ready and willing to bring a distressed student to Isham or to his or her dorm. The officers’ recognizable white cars bring a sense of safety to those around them. However, a series of recent incidents has led me to believe that PAPS’s emergency student transport system should be extended to directly protect the safety of students not just on but also off campus during the school year. Under the current policy, Public Safety officers provide direct assistance and emergency rides to students while on the immediate PA grounds. However, in my experience, students frequently need the help of an officer while off campus as well. If a student were to call PAPS today from downtown, reporting “harassment from townies,” PAPS would contact the Andover police. In other situations, such as sudden illness preventing the student from getting back to campus, PAPS might contact a dean on duty or house counselor to arrange transportation for the student back to campus. However, PAPS should not be a middleman delegating jobs to others. Because most students wander off the immediate PA grounds almost weekly, the PAPS system should be available to extend their help to students just beyond the immediate campus boarders. A couple of weeks ago, a few of my friends found themselves in an unfavorable situation and were denied a request for help from PAPS. These friends of mine had decided to spend their beautiful Saturday afternoon, after finishing Non Sibi Day commitments, on a walk. The chosen destination was Holt Hill, which boasts a remarkable view after about a mile’s meander through residential Andover. After reaching the peak, they turned back toward campus. However, a wrong turn took them to an unrecognizable highway. With no cell phones on hand and horribly lost, they walked into a nearby office building, found an available phone and proceeded to dial PAPS’s easy-to-remember 4444 number. However, once on the line, my friends were surprised with how unhelpful their supposed savior was. They were told to contact their house counselor. After getting the number from the reluctant person on the phone, they were luckily able to reach their counselor and get a ride back. However, what would have happened if their house counselor hadn’t answered the phone? My friends expressed a feeling of discomfort from the denial of help from PAPS, the campus organization they thought could be depended on first. One Sunday in the spring of my Junior year, I was caught in a similar situation. I had hurt my foot while with friends in Boston. I would not have been able to walk the considerable distance up the hill back to my dorm from the Andover train station. By the suggestion of my house counselor, we called the 4444 PAPS number hoping for a ride back to campus. They declined, insisting that it was the responsibility of our house counselor to drive us up the hill. Understandably, PAPS should not be expected to be a taxi service for lazy students who don’t feel like walking back from Wild Oats or Shawsheen. Similarly, officers should not be held responsible for helping students far from campus on day excuses (Boston, etc.) However, they should be able to provide a more direct safety net for students in legitimate need of help while off the immediate campus (such as downtown), instead of giving the jobs to others. The stories I’ve discussed are two such examples of situations where students could not get back to campus and had to depend on the help of a house counselor. However, a house counselor cannot be depended on as a 24-hour support system. Although the job is full time, there will be the inevitable situation when a house counselor cannot be reached or is unable to drive to the assistance of one of his or her students. PAPS, on the other hand, is a 24-hour operation which virtually guarantees availability to students who require aid or safety help. This direct help should be extended within a reasonable distance, such as downtown and some of North Andover as well. I am in no way underestimating the considerable responsibility that PAPS already faces. Time after time, we are reminded of the outstanding organization and efficiency of our Public Safety. The PAPS office can take full responsibility for the incredible preparedness of our campus when faced with safety emerencies. PAPS officers help us perform the lockdown drill with ease and handle campus intruders with little discomfort to the community. If PAPS is to fully carry out the job of providing safety for Andover’s students, it must be prepared to assist students both on and off campus in the immediate campus area. In fact, it is almost more likely that a student would run into trouble, such as sudden sickness or injury, downtown and be completely unable to return to campus without help.
