A knife incident that Student Government Board member Ryan Very witnessed at a party gave new… A knife incident that Student Government Board member Ryan Very witnessed at a party gave new importance to knowing the phone number of the Pitt police, Very said at last night’s meeting.

He said that two non-Pitt students entered a party hosted by Pitt students and pulled out knives. Although the Pitt police were contacted and the suspects were apprehended, the response of campus police could have been faster if the partygoers had the Pitt police campus line – 811 – programmed into their phones, Very said.

Very announced that SGB will partner with the Pitt police to facilitate the “Greater Awareness Program,” which the Pitt police, the department of environmental health and safety, the School of Education and the department of housing currently participate in.

He said one solution would be to provide more advertisements in “high-traffic” areas around campus for students to understand police services and “communicate better” with Pitt police.

“Students aren’t aware of services Pitt police offer,” Very said. “Students need to know they are on our side.”

Very said he wants to use SGB participation in the program to take student suggestions for how to promote knowledge of Pitt safety. He suggested designing posters with information, like the campus police phone number, clearly advertised.

SGB Notes