214 units each receive four repairs per year
When students walk anywhere on campus, they are supposedly guaranteed to have access to the police through an Emergency Call Box.
There are 214 of these units on USC’s Columbia campus, many within mere yards of each other so students are always just one button push away from connection with a dispatcher and an immediate summons of officers to the scene of an emergency. However, regular “out of order” signs covering these boxes have left some students wondering how reliable the Emergency Call system really is.
Capt. Eric Grabski, director of USC’s Department of Law Enforcement and Safety, says police officers survey the call boxes for maintenance every other week, reporting issues to USC Facilities. Malfunctions range anywhere from broken lights and phone wiring issues to vandalism. According to Director of Facilities Tom Quasney, weekly police reports average about 15 needed repairs per week. In an email response to The Daily Gamecock, he insisted that Facilities responds to each report as a high priority.
But with four needed repairs for each of the campus’s 214 call boxes each year and an annual increase in new installations, some units may get overlooked. Student Body Vice President Emily Saleeby said she had noticed two call boxes outside of Patterson Hall that hadn’t been repaired for an entire semester until she got in touch with USC police officers.
“Having been a [resident mentor], I think it’s really important to have safety for residents, especially outside of a women’s dorm,” Saleeby said. “I feel like that’s something that should be there and should be working 24/7. If it only takes a day to fix, why didn’t that happen a month ago?”
Saleeby feels part of the reason is that students may not know who to call for non-emergency safety issues, like broken emergency call units. While she hopes to see more units installed on campus, she says it will be important for students to be accountable for making sure they’re working properly.
“It’s important that those are some of the first things that happen to improve safety because a life is the most valuable thing on this university,” Saleeby said.
According to Grabski, USC police received 154 emergency calls from the units over the past six months, estimating about 25 calls per month. However, Grabski estimates that only 24 to 30 of these calls are actual emergencies. The rest are typically unit malfunctions, accidents or non-emergency requests for a police escort. Although the other 130 calls may have resulted in unnecessary dispatches, Grabski says he would rather make those short extra trips than miss an emergency.
“It gives a sense of security when you walk on campus and see that they’re always there just in case,” Grabski said.
To report a safety concern, students can call the Division of Law Enforcement and Safety office at 803-777-8400. For immediate concerns outside of business hours, call 803-777-4215 to reach 24-hour dispatch.