Forget bone-breaking karate chops and grandma's pepper spray - the Department of Public Safety is now providing free personal alarms to students, though few have taken the offer.
DPS and President Ruth Simmons decided to make the alarms - previously sold for $10 - free to students after a meeting in March, said Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Mark Porter. The personal alarms, which effectively serve as a sound grenade, emit a piercing 130-decibel sound that can be used to "call for help, draw attention to a situation, or to scare off an attacker," according to the DPS Web site.
The deafening devices became free for students after an inquiry by a parent and a senior administrator prompted DPS and Simmons to decide to distribute them free of charge.
"Making personal alarms available to all the community is assisting the community with personal safety. I thought it was a very good inquiry," Porter said. Students who bought the alarms before they were made free will be reimbursed, he said, adding that DPS is paying for the devices.
Although 110 personal alarms have been distributed, Brown students account for only a dozen of the purchases, Porter said. There has been no reported use of these alarms, which Porter called positive. "We've had no incidents reported when the device could have been used," he said.
Marketed by DPS under the slogan "Do you want a PAL?" these ear-splitting devices have found few eager pals among Brown students. Sam Ewenczyk '10 bought two personal alarms from DPS for $20 and said he threw them away once he realized they were "so inconvenient and tricky. It's a crappy little mechanism with too many wires."
The alarms are pocket-sized with a light that flashes when the emergency cord is pulled. The alarm's cord can be switched to attach to a door or window, and will ring if opened.
Although worried about security on campus, Ewenczyk recommended a reinforced police presence over distribution of personal devices. "Foucault's 'Panopticism' should be taken into consideration at Brown," he said, referring to the idea that if everyone in society is being watched, everyone will obey.
Among students who had examined but never purchased an alarm, the its shrill echo seemed not to resonate favorably either. "It's good that DPS is trying to address the issue of student safety," said Rhea Wharton '10, "but I don't know if I would use a little gadget." She added that self-defense classes are better protection.
"I don't think these would really scare people who were attacking you," said Hee Kyung Chung '09. She added that the alarms should be better publicized because she had not heard of them.
Rebecca Russo '08, however, said "they could be effective," especially for someone who lives off campus, as she does.
The personal alarms can be attached to a belt, purse, pocket or door, and are "effective because they're easy to carry, simple to activate," Porter said. He praised the alarms for their multiple advantages, saying that they make "others in the area aware (and) our officers are familiar with the sound." In addition to alerting others, "it would scare off an attacker," he added. In the event of an attack, Porter said to activate the alarm, "keep it on you and continue to run."
In spite of these benefits, Porter may not carry one himself. When asked whether he carried a personal alarm, he said with a smile, "Certainly I recommend carrying one to students, family and friends."
Crime Prevention Officer Mark Perry said that he doesn't carry one either - "I'm leaving them available for people at the University."
DPS is coordinating several outreach programs in which they will provide alarms to students, including one today at the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
