Editorial by Kernel staff. E-mail

Thanks to the series of on-campus robberies, many students have probably thought twice before walking back to their residence halls or cars alone at night.

SAFECATS, or “Safe And Free Escort for Campus Area Traveling Students,” provides security for UK students as they travel campus after hours.

According to the SAFECATS website, the escort service is available Sunday through Thursday from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., excluding university holidays, breaks and summer.

“Safety escorts are trained annually by the University Police Department, carry a Police issued radio giving them direct contact with the University Police Dispatch and undergo a preliminary criminal background check before they are permitted to serve as a safety escort,” the SAFECATS website says.

As an additional precaution, the SAFECATS website says students who call to request an escort can ask to see official SAFECATS identification before being escorted.

A Sept. 27 Kernel article said that escorts are members of the Flying Wildcats Booster Club, which is comprised of 140 Air Force Cadets in ROTC. The article also said due to the recent robberies, SAFECATS upped the number of escorts from two per night to six.

SAFECATS is also considering maintaining the increased number of cadets on duty and the frequency each cadet member works, according to the article. They are working to add a second golf cart for student transport, as well.

Students should add the SAFECATS number, 257-SAFE, to their cell phone directories to have the number at hand if ever they need to travel across campus late at night.

More students should take advantage of this free campus service. No one can put a price on safety, and by using SAFECATS students have less of a chance of running into danger.