The Mississippi State University police department has developed a service to appeal to the technically savvy minds of students on campus. Students are now able to text non-emergent situations to the police department’s number and get help within minutes. The aim of this service is to help students feel comfortable enough to contact the campus police if they are not feeling safe but would rather not call the police department directly.
  The service will allow students to register any device, whether it is a cell phone or a landline phone. After a one-time set up process, students can access the service.
  MSU Chief of Police, Vance Rice, fostered the idea early on at MSU. After careful brainstorming, the service is now  in full effect. 
  “My hope is that because students are much more comfortable in texting than calling, that they will be equally comfortable with sending us important information. Whether the information is letting us know that there is a wreck somewhere or that their car won’t start, we want to know about it,” Rice said.
    Rice says there may be a few follow-up questions after they are contacted but only for security and safety purposes. As long as they get the information, either by text or call, to answer those questions, they can be there as quickly as possible.
   “One caution I want to stress is to not use the text service in place of an emergency situation,” Rice said. “Text does not convey the same emotion that voice does. We can’t hear emotion in a text, so in case of an emergency situation, please call us.”
  According to Chief Rice, prank texts to the department’s number will get the same repercussions as a prank call would. This action is a misdemeanor, and students are strongly encouraged to treat it as such.
   Dr. Regina Hyatt, vice president of student affairs, is also behind the new text service.
  “There are occasions where it is not possible for someone to make an audible call to police,” Hyatt said. “With the new text messaging service, it will allow for someone to reach out for assistance without the possibility of being detected by an intruder as an example.”
     Dr. Hyatt also said the key is to have as many options as possible to get questions or concerns answered. 
  “Texting is just another avenue to increase the channels of communication between our university community and university police.”
   Junior and Bully Patrol employee, Torri Mcdonald, said because the current generation is very reliant on texting, having this service available should be a big hit among students.
    “Working for Bully Patrol, when we encounter a situation, we have to stand so many feet back and evaluate it so we can communicate with the police department,” Mcdonald said. “Now, with the option of using text messaging, it will be much easier and safer to relay information to the police department without drawing any attention to ourselves.”
   Mcdonald said as a student and an employee for Bully Patrol, she knows first-hand that not many people know about the safety services MSU offers, and ensuring people know about these services would be very beneficial.
   “I know people who would like escorts to and from places but would prefer not to call the department directly,” Mcdonald said. “I am confident having this option available will make a lot of people happy and Bully Patrol will be right there in no time to assist.”
    One important goal of MSU is to ensure the protection and safety of the students here. The MSU police department wants every student to know that this service is out there and readily available to use. The text service can be reached at 662-325-2121.