Rave Guardian App assists in keeping students safe on campus

By Julio Lara and Misty Severi

Through emails to students and posts on the school’s website, Riverside City College has been promoting the Rave Guardian App, which acts as a bodyguard and extra security for unaccompanied students.

Jessica Rose of Rave Technologies created this app to help eliminate sexual assaults on college campuses.

This app is available for both students and employees in the Riverside City College District.

There are numerous features in the app including instant 9-1-1, a safety timer and it can even notify students’ “Guardians” of their whereabouts.

The app gives the user the ability to invite friends and family to be their Guardians where they can can opt into notifications that update them on when the user is walking alone and also when they’ve arrived at their destination safely.

When campus security is registered, the app allows the user to notify campus security when the user is walking alone by setting a timer which notifies security if the user has not reported that they’re safe.

If the timer goes off and there has been no word from the user, the user’s GPS coordinates are sent to security who calls the user, if no response is heard, security is dispatched immediately.

“It gives you a certain amount of time to walk from point A to point B,” Sgt. Robert Kleveno of RCCD’s police department said. “If you never make it to point B, then it sends out these alerts and calls the police.”

An image of the user is sent to the police so they know who to assist if the user has that setting turned on.

Although the target demographic is women, there are numerous features that make this app unisex friendly.

The app can be utilized as a ‘witness,’ which enables the user to take snapshots of any suspicious activity and allows them to report it.

Users of this app have the ability to choose whether or not to send anonymous tips to the district police.

Kleveno explained the added security this app provides to users.

“I think if the technology’s there, I think it’s a good idea. It’s just another tool in the toolbox to be safe, you know,” Kleveno said.

“This is handy because you know a lot of people are in a hurry or they don’t want to wait for somebody to show up, but, it gives you a sense of security.”

“I’d recommend it to the students,” RCC student Lawrence Mann said. “Not just for here in downtown, but (for the campus) as well because there’s a lot of crazy stuff that happens on the main campus too.”