UofU increases student safety measures with more emergency phones, training since McCluskey’s death

The University of Utah claims it has completely transformed their public safety department since the killing of Lauren McCluskey five years ago.

Several new students are praising the school, saying they feel the university is doing a good job informing them on how they can get help, if needed.

Since it has been five years since the murder of Lauren McCluskey, not every University of Utah student knows who she is. Some have never heard her name, nor do they know her story. Despite that, some freshmen, like Teal Edholm, said the school is doing a good job making sure they know how to get emergency help.

“They put a lot of signs up, everywhere, especially in the dorm and on the doors of common places,” Edholm said.

Other students said they get campus safety emails quite regularly, and they like the SafeRide program, which makes it so students don’t have to walk home, alone, in the dark.

“You can use an app and it’s a free ride in certain hours of the night and you basically get free rides later in the evening,” another freshman said.

University spokesperson Chris Nelson said after a long legal battle, the school is now on good terms with the McCluskey family. They hold a yearly 5k race in Lauren’s honor, and the McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention bears her name.

“The great thing we have now is a good relationship with the McCluskeys. Doctor [Jill] McCluskey is on campus and she speaks, she has been speaking annually on campus. So, yeah, we definitely incorporate Lauren’s name and Lauren’s legacy in everything we do, here,” Nelson said. “I think where the university finally got to a [good] place with the McCluskeys was around accountability.”

Since Lauren’s murder, all students have to complete online safety training modules every year before classes actually begin, and they don’t just talk about staying safe from physical attacks, but emotional abuse, as well.

“A big part of what we of safety is not just physical safety on campus, you know, lights and escorts, and all that, but also being in a healthy relationship and what does that mean. What does it mean to give consent in a relationship?” Nelson said.

Since McCluskey’s murder, Nelson said their public safety department has gone through massive changes.

“A lot of work on that. When you look at Public Safety [Department], a massive transformation. We have a new chief safety officer. Our police department has seen an 80 percent turnover,” he said.

Nelson also said they’ve increased the number of victim advocates in their public safety department, the number of emergency phones on campus, plus they have more resources in their dorms. However, he said the work is never really done, so even though they’ve changed a lot over the past five years, they’ll likely change a lot more in the next five.