Broken Callbox on Campus

At least one blue-light callbox, in the upper parking lot near Powers Hall, is broken. Campus police declined to comment on the total number of broken boxes.

On Feb. 1 at 9:20 a.m., an officer inspecting the callbox told an Insider reporter that it was not working. A sign has since been posted on the broken callbox by campus police to warn about the issue. It is unclear when the callbox will be functional again.

In an interview on Feb. 1 from 12-1 p.m. by a separate Insider reporter, who did not yet know about the broken callbox, Chief of Police Daniel Lynch said that the callboxes were checked monthly and that they were all up and working.

When asked on Feb. 5 about the disabled callbox, Chief Lynch said, “They are currently being worked on as we speak.” He declined to comment further.

According to the fall 2015 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report for the Pitt-Greensburg campus, more than 33 emergency phones are scattered throughout the campus. Easy to identify because of the distinct blue light, the callboxes connect the user with on campus security.

Flynn Connelly, a sophomore chemistry and secondary education major, said, “This campus is relatively safe, but it’s kind of isolated, so I feel like [fixing the callboxes] should be a higher priority than installing new locks to the doors.”

Callboxes are installed across campuses to provide quick contact with local security. This ensures a rapid response time and avoids the potential problem of a failed 9-1-1 call.

“They do get used,” Chief Lynch said. “Most often it’s a false alarm. Someone might lean on one or push one as a prank or even press the button just to see if it works.”