I am writing in response to Katrina Garcia’s article entitled “Dialing campus PD: a fast response,� from the Feb. 21 edition of The Collegian. The new Campus Police emergency phone number, (559) 278-8400, was not introduced “recently;� the number was activated and operational on Jan. 1, 2005, more than two years ago. In my opinion, half of a student’s tenure at this University does not qualify as recent.

Further, Ms. Garcia states in her “Fighting Instincts� subsection that dialing 278-8400 “could potentially be the better option.� For on-campus emergencies, this is always the best course of action.

Ms. Garcia failed to point calling 911 from a cell phone automatically routes to the dispatch center in Sacramento. For someone who is confused or scared, calling for help and speaking with a dispatcher 150 miles away is not a better option than calling the source of help directly — Fresno State PD.

During the fall semester, I organized a Campus Police phone number drive. This drive impressed upon students the importance of having the “new� police phone number in their cell phones. The drive was a complete success, reaching more than 1,000 students, who received free pens and Post-It notes that had the number printed on them.

This is just another example of the many ways that Associated Students, Inc. serves students and our community.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have, at (559) 278-2656, or via email at [email protected].

Kevin McDonald
Associated Students