Many of the American universities with long-standing reputations now reside landlocked within America’s cities, in areas that have been built up around the spreading institutions—only to move on and leave them behind as time goes on and economics fluctuate. GPS protection in many forms has already become common on campuses, the next step that naturally followed the security many felt with the mere ownership of a cell phone.
GPS Protection Projects
Some of the most effective GPS protective measures have focused on minors and the vulnerable. Common use of GPS for protection include a wide variety of devices and applications but all share the same goal and purpose.
| GPS Device | Participant | Purpose |
| Chips in collars | Pets | Finding and retrieving lost pets before they come to harm |
| Tags and locators | Children | Ensuring safety while traveling to and from school or while in a crowd |
| Wristbands | Lone adventurers | Providing freedom for exploration with safety |
The success of these various projects continues to inspire continued brainstorming on expanding uses for GPS to provide safety in a culture that seems increasingly dangerous and threatening. One logical expansion of this idea of safety and protection covers the vulnerability of college students attending universities in now dangerous parts of growing—or shrinking—cities.
GPS at Georgetown University
Already implemented in Georgetown earlier this year, a GPS app for the shuttle transportation NextGUTS has been successful in providing more accurate information to students and motorists in the surrounding area. Safety benefits of this system—as well as the many others that are being implemented across the country and around the world—include the following:
- Precise timing for meeting buses
- Accurate information for escorts
- More information for travel time
While these benefits are helpful for daytime services, Georgetown has recently realized that they are even more necessary for their nighttime service, SafeRide.
Already reflecting a concern for students out at night, Georgetown’s Department of Public Safety has decided to take another step toward providing students with much-needed protection in an area that has had over 290 reported crimes in the past two months.
Expanding GPS Benefits
Acknowledged by the Chief of Police and by several student advisory boards, the particular danger of nighttime transportation for college students studying and living in areas with high crime rates lies in the seclusion often experienced while waiting for even a reliable and much used services such as SafeRide. With the new app and GPS tracking program implemented for the nighttime service, students can access information using:
- Websites
- iPhones
- Androids
The precise information regarding the location of the service and the arrival time allows students to follow the instructions they’ve been given to wait in a safe and secure place—and still meet the transportation service when it arrives.
Improving GPS Protection
As universities, cities, counties, and individuals continue to apply GPS technology to increased protection, flexibility in the systems and applications seems absolutely necessary for improvements to be made on a continual basis. Some of the main features needed for any new implementation of GPS protection include soliciting and responding to feedback from users. Some of the suggestions already received from Georgetown students are in the process of implementation by Georgetown’s department of public safety:
| Suggestion | Purpose |
| Eliminate phone call through the expanded use of the app | More efficient contact |
| Message generation from driver | Immediate notification of pick-up time |
GPS App for Prime Protection
With the GPS tracking app for SafeRide and NextGUTS easily available for download from the iOS App Store or Google Play, students at Georgetown experience an immediate increase in safety on the streets. Using the inherent updating ability of apps in general, these GPS tracking apps enable continued improvements to current systems like those being used at Georgetown—and increasing opportunities for those looking to increase security.
The team at Georgetown has committed to providing updates and improvements on a regular basis as the app continues to be used by those who already keep SafeRide busy, providing over 1,000 rides a week to students concerned for their safety in a crime-heavy area.
Private Development of GPS Apps for Personalized Protection
As officials at Georgetown demonstrate, privatized development of specific apps opens great possibilities for the application of GPS technology to safety and protection. With possibilities as broad and wide as the limits of imagination, GPS apps can be created for customized needs of students in multiple communities.
But the application doesn’t just stop with students; as people in general become aware of the amazing access to immediate information and contact through GPS apps, apps tapping into this resource may just begin to explode.
With a touch of the screen, students in Georgetown—and perhaps soon kids on any given street—can call for immediate help in unsafe circumstances using GPS technology at their fingertips.
GPS Protected Public Transportation
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