The Saluki Safe program is off to a slow start and is in the process of adding more volunteers to eliminate staffing problems.

Saluki Safe, a joint effort between SIU Police, Student Affairs and the Saluki Volunteer Corps, offers on-campus walking escorts during potentially dangerous times at night. The program began in August.

The program was discussed at a meeting of the Campus Safety Fee Board Thursday.

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The organizers of the program updated the board on the progress of the program, said Michelle Kahler, assistant program director for Student Development.

The service has received 16 calls this semester and has escorted nine students, Saluki Safe graduate assistant Derrick Ossman said. The service has not received any calls in the last two weeks.

We would like to see more people use the escort service, Kahler said. We think that once the time changes and it begins to get dark earlier that more students will use it.

The board is hoping more students will use the service, but staffing needs must be met first.

There have been one or two times that a volunteer has been scheduled to work and something has come up, and we had to scramble to find someone to cover, Kahler said. The additional volunteers should eliminate that problem.

The volunteers must go through a training session, and service and background checks also are run. Program coordinators are waiting for the results of background checks on 10 people, SIUC Sgt. Nelson Ferry said.

Saluki Safe, available to all students, faculty and staff, is composed of a team of two cyclists who meet students and walk them between on-campus locations. Escorts are available 7:30 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Friday and can be reached by calling the transit service at 453-2212. Escorts are not available to Evergreen Terrace or Southern Hills.

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A motorized transit service already in place limits use to women traveling between locations on and off campus.

The Campus Safety Fee Board regulates safety programs on campus, and a portion of student fee money is utilized for the services. The SIU Board of Trustees set up the Campus Safety Fee Board and established the women’s night transit service after a series of attempted and aggravated sexual assaults in the 1970s.

No problems of major concern were presented at (Thursday’s) meeting, Ferry said. Overall, everything appears to be running smoothly.

Escorts are available 7:30 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Friday and can be reached by calling 453-2212.