When clocks are set back as daylight-saving time ends every fall, another annual activity coincides at TCU. A campus lighting assessment is conducted to identify potentially unsafe areas on campus.
Adrian Andrews, assistant vice chancellor for public safety, leads the nighttime evaluation, which also includes the grounds crew, facilities management, the TCU chief of police, plus two to four criminology and criminal justice interns.
The interns are typically female, a perspective Andrews values, as they represent the majority of the TCU population and are more aware of parts of campus they may find 鈥渃reepy.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檙e really more observant,鈥� he said of the female interns. Being a girl-dad helps him in the same way. 鈥淚 look at the campus through the lens of my daughter,鈥� he said.
The sites the team evaluates have been preselected by the interns who, along with the others, load into a van once it鈥檚 dark to visit those spots. Once there, Andrews uses a lumens meter to measure the amount of light distributed over the area. Sometimes, the solution is as simple as replacing a bulb, cutting back vegetation and trees or adding more lights.
鈥淲e have to find a balance,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ver-lighting is a problem because it can cause glare, plus we have to consider our neighbors.鈥�
Of course, higher-activity areas like parking lots and pedestrian crossings have more lighting.
鈥淲e are pleased that students report largely feeling safe,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut anyone who has a concern about an area that feels unsafe should contact me.鈥�
Andrews also strongly encourages everyone to download the FrogShield app, which they can use to contact TCU Police or the local police department when help is needed.