Harrison Gillaspy, Froggie Five-0 nightly student supervisor, begins his shift on Oct. 20.

Froggie Five-0 drivers are employed by the TCU police department in an effort to keep unaccompanied students walking on campus safe.

The program started in 1998 after sexual assaults began occurring off campus, said crime prevention officer Pam Christian, who supervises Froggie Five-0.  

“They’re [Froggie Five-0 drivers] extra eyes and ears for the police department,” Christian said. “That’s a prevention and it’s very helpful to the police department.”

Currently, over three thousand rides are given to students a month.

First-year political science major Veronika Bondarenko said she typically gets a ride every weekend, and during the week if she is going somewhere far from her dorm in Waits Hall.

“When we’re going out it feels much better to be on a safe ride that will get us where we need to go,” Bondarenko said.

Students can call the Froggie Five-0 dispatcher, who is a student, and give them their name, location and number of people in the group and the dispatcher will then send a driver to the student’s location.

Calling is the best option for students who are looking for a ride, said sophomore physical education major Harrison Gillaspy, a Froggie Five-0 nightly shift supervisor.

“If they are in danger then we are supposed to pick them up,” Gillaspy said. “But if they’re just with a group of friends trying to go to the library, then we have to go get the person who called in, because we don’t know if they are actually in danger or just need the ride, but we know the person who called in did feel in danger.”

Gillaspy said Froggie is meant to protect students from sexual assault as well as other dangerous situations on campus.

“If we can somehow get them to call us from wherever they are, get to campus, and we can come pick them up and prevent them from being seen or being kidnapped and just keep them safe,” he said.

Bondarenko said, “I don’t think anything bad will happen, but it has, so knowing someone’s there to get you and make sure your safe is a good feeling.”

Students should continue to use the service even if they are intoxicated, said Christian.

“We don’t want students to be worried about calling for a ride just because they’ve had a couple of drinks,” Christian said. “So as far as the security guards, or Froggie Five-0, go, there will be no alcohol violations.

Take a survey on Froggie Five-0 here. 

Students can call 817-257-5856 for a ride.