The University of Chicago announced several new safety and security initiatives meant to increase safety among students, staff and faculty for the campus community. Among those initiatives, the university will expand its security guard presence and offer new transit options. 

The University of Chicago Provost Ka Yee Lee and Associate Vice President for Safety and Security Eric Heath said, “These new initiatives are intended to enhance and expand our security and transportation support to deter crime, increase safety, and further increase access to immediate assistance in the case of emergency.” 

Part of the initiatives include expanding the university's Safety Ambassador Program, which places security officers from Allied Universal in some locations on campus. Those officers will now move to other parts of of the city and campus community on a trial basis. 

Transit options will also increase for members of the campus community, adding new shuttle routes around campus. Students will also be allowed to take 10 free Lyft rides each month during the academic year during specified hours and days of the week.

The university announced that it will also offer free home security inspections for members of the campus community, and “is launching new websites and educational materials with recommendations for staying safe in a large urban environment.”