UFPD Does not Disappoint

     I read a quote somewhere that there are only three groups of people who run toward danger: cops, firefighters, and reporters. I realize that my line of work requires me to put myself in hazardous situations sometimes, and that's something I've come to accept. However, when the blazer is off and the camera is returned, it is my hope that I can retain my personal safety. But with a suspect on the loose that some are calling a sexual predator, I haven't felt like I can do that. In light of the recent incidents threatening student safety here at the University of Florida, the fear that my peers and I have been feeling is very real.

In a time like this, I wondered if UFPD would step up and help our student body --- especially the female population --- feel less vulnerable. This image, along with the many others tweeted by UF Public Safety, convinces me that the job is being done.

I've always had my doubts about UFPD and their reliability as a unity, but last night, my mind was changed. It's amazing to see how quickly the police and security force rallied, expanded, and cracked down these past couple of days.

An officer stopped me because he noticed I was alone in making the very short trek from Phi Mu to Norman garage, and he assured me he would watch me until I got to my car. In a school as large as UF, this officer made me feel like I wasn't just part of a mass of people the police force is tasked to watch over. Rather, I was pulled from the crowd and regarded as a single person, whose individual well-being was deemed just as valuable to that officer as it is to me.

All I can say is that for the first time in a week, I feel more at ease. After being scared to leave my apartment, I feel so much more confident that we are closer to catching the creep who has been assaulting my fellow Gators. At least, I feel confident that our safety is not so much in jeopardy as it was before, and UFPD, as well as the leadership of our president Bernie Machen, are largely to thank. I hope many others feel just as convinced of that in the near future as I feel now.