Froggie 5-0’s updated system includes a walking buddy program, helping to maximize the safety goal of the escort service which many students were often using to get a free ride.

Adrian Andrews, assistant vice chancellor of public safety at TCU said he was concerned that student calls to Froggie 5-0 for safety reasons were getting lost in calls made by those who just wanted a ride, as many students were using it as a transportation service rather than a safety escort service.

“We were getting 90 calls a night,” Andrews said. “That’s not just safety calls, those are convenience calls.”

Froggie 5-0 workers now confirm with callers that the request is due to safety concerns. A pair of walking escorts or a golf cart is sent to the student based on the distance of their route.

After implementing the changes, the number of calls a night have been cut down by two-thirds.

Andrews said students and parents were initially concerned that the safety escort program was going to be eliminated completely. He confirmed that Froggie 5-0 will always be a resource available to students, while prioritizing the program’s new phrase, “safety first”.

“We’re still the same Froggie 5-0,” said Ashley Sterin, Froggie 5-0 employee and senior criminal justice major. “We just want students to know that Froggie 5-0 is meant to be there for people who don’t feel safe walking on campus.”

The addition of the walking buddy program was announced last spring and has proven to be effective in prioritizing student safety this semester, according to the TCU Department of Public Safety.

Students can request Froggie 5-0 safety escorts between 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. by dialing 817-257-8563.