Gardaí launch campaign to help Irish students feel safe at college

Gardaí have launched a campaign to help students feel safe at Irish colleges. 

The 'Safe at College' campaign - which commenced this week - offers advice to students on topics such as rental fraud, money mules, driving, drugs, sexual consent and hate crime. 

It will cover a number of topics over the course of the next few months to provide crime prevention information on the types of crime that may impact on student life. 

Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, Roads Policing and Community Engagement, said, "We want to ensure students enjoy their college experience and remind both you and your parents/carers there is information and help available through the Campus Watch Schemes run in colleges across the country. 

"Through this partnership approach you will have information about the importance of keeping safe throughout student life, be that on campus, at home or socialising both online and in person." 

A key element in the campaign is the more than 55 Campus Watch Schemes across the country. 

The Campus Watch Programme is a crime prevention and community safety programme similar to a residential Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and operates as a partnership between An Garda Síochána and the campus occupants. 

It works on the basis that every member of campus can help to improve the quality of life of all on site by looking out for other students, staff and visitors, and reporting suspicious activities to the Gardaí. 

The Assistant Commissioner continued: "Given the restrictions relating to Covid 19 last year, we recognise this year will be different as some of you may be effectively attending campus for the first time. It is understandable you will want to get out and meet each other. The #SafeatCollege campaign is designed to help you, to provide you with information and tools to ensure you all have a safe experience.

"It also raises awareness of the longer term consequences of certain behaviour, for example losing the opportunity to travel and the impact on future job prospects. This safety campaign provides information directly to students and across our social media channels, we encourage you to make use of them and work with us to keep yourselves and others in the community safe." 

Advice and information on the Campus Watch Information Leaflet can be found in multiple languages on the Campus Watch page at www.garda.ie.