Police are here to help, Chief of Police Renee Freeman told Grand Valley State University’s student senate during their meeting on Jan. 21.

Freeman, who also doubles as the director of public safety, talked to the senate about the services the police department offers, their emergency management team and updated students about the parking situation. Mostly, she talked about student safety.

She encouraged the senators to use the resources provided to them. GVPD has two apps that are free for all students to download: Rave Guardian and Smart 911.

Rave Guardian is an app that is used locally and is connected with GVPD’s non-emergency dispatch. It allows students to take pictures, text, or communicate with the Grand Valley Police. It also allows for a virtual safe walk.

“You can type in ‘Hey GVPD, I’m leaving the library and headed back to my living center (so) if you don’t hear from me in 10 minutes, please send an officer to check on me,’” Freeman explained. “It sets a timer and if it goes off and you haven’t checked in with us, (then) we can narrow your GPS down and we can come find you.”

She also encouraged students to download the other app, Smart 911. It allows students to input as much or as little information as they want. The information will only be used if they push the ‘911’ button. With whatever information a student has entered, it will then be used to aid the police in the correct way to assist them.

“Let’s say you’re a diabetic and you put that information in there,” Freeman said. “(Then) you’re able to push the button but you suddenly pass out. If we have that information, that changes how we respond to you.”

She also talked about the developing emergency management department and the work they are doing with Ottawa County.

Part of the work for GVPD emergency management is to send out the GVSU alerts. There are three different types of alerts that can be sent via email or through text messages. When a student registers at GVSU, they are automatically enrolled in the email notifications. However, a student must opt-in to receive text messages.

Jeremy Turnbull, vice president for finance, suggested to Freeman about sending follow-up messages. This way, students would know the issue had been resolved and taken care of.

While these alerts can help students in times of emergency, she urged senators to always be prepared and to plan things out before the situation occurs.

“When it comes down (to) a true emergency, you have to look out for yourself,” Freeman said. “You have to do something to make sure you are safe and secure. We want to create an aware society and we want to make sure you are looking out for yourselves and you’re looking out for one another.”

In addition to the positions she is already in, Freeman recently volunteered to take over the parking situation.

She acknowledged the problem and promised to work very hard and attend to the issues. The most common question asked, Freeman said, is why GVSU hasn’t built a parking ramp structure. The answer is simple, Freeman said. The problem with a parking ramp is financial in nature.

“We could build a flat lot for $2,000-$4,000 per space,” Freeman said. “A parking ramp is between $23,000-$28,000 per space. Somebody has to absorb that cost and we don’t want to put that on the students.”

One solution in the works is the tearing down of the Ravine apartments. This will be happening in the spring and will open up around 350-400 more parking spaces. While laying asphalt and painting lines to make a large lot on 48th Avenue and Pierce Street seems like an easy fix, Freeman assured the senate it isn’t that simple.

The Department of Environmental Quality, the state of Michigan and Ottawa County are all involved in that decision. They then have to think about drainage systems and water run-off.

Freeman does, however, assure the senators that any constructive criticism or new ideas for solutions are welcome.

“We are listening, we are making those changes,” she said. “We get it. We know there’s a problem and we are trying to fix it.”