SUNY Buffalo State’s University Police Department released a few updates regarding recent crime and safety improvements.

University Police Chief Peter Carey said that the armed robbery that occurred between the Science and Mathematics Complex and Upton Hall on September 29 is still under investigation. There have not been a lot of solvability factors, there is no stolen property, and the victim is unable to provide clear characteristics of the suspects. There is also no camera surveillance of the suspects before or after the robbery took place.

However, UPD is hoping to increase camera surveillance in the near future. UPD is continuing to work with the victim and are always looking for people to provide information with them directly or through the confidential tip line.

Carey also stated that the new shuttle app will be available to students by the beginning of the spring semester. The purpose of this app is that students can see the location of the escort vans that are running.

“Students can stay in a safe place, whether it’s in their car or a building, and minimize their time waiting at the shuttle stops,” Carey said.

The shuttle app also helps in the cold weather so that students can stay in a warmer place until the van arrives.

The Buffalo State escort vans are available twenty hours a day, running from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 a.m., operating as a parking lot shuttle, which circles from Grant Street to the Cleveland Circle.

From 4:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. the vans operate as a shuttle service, driving around the entire campus and stopping at the blue light phones on parkways.

Students will be able to access the free shuttle app through the app store, selecting the option for Buffalo State.

“The app will have moving icons on the map showing how far away the next escort van is,” Carey said.

This map will also soon be available on the UPD website so that it is accessible on a laptop or desktop computer.

Carey also mentioned the proposed safety app, Safe Trek, which would cost $3 per month for the user.

UPD have also just released Buffalo State’s Annual Security Report, a twenty-five page document regarding all safety information provided by the college.

“I wish more people would read this. It has every safety service and information that the college provides, not just UPD,” Carey said.

The report talks about the judicial process, how to report incidents, how the college handles incidents, and has crime statistics at Buffalo State for the past three years.

“If you look at the crime stats for the past three years, we have very little crime, and our crimes are low and stable,” Carey said.

Though the year is not over yet, Carey believes that instead of having crime spread out over the months, it came grouped together in a short period of time.

UPD understands the concern among students and the community, which is why they are being proactive and increasing services.

“The message is that we are a very safe campus,” Carey said.

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