Smartphone App Helps College Students Feel Safer On Campus

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A new app is sweeping college campuses across the country -- and it's all about safety.

As CBS 2's Dick Brennan reported, student Mollie Rosenkrantz takes her smartphone everywhere, which could actually help keep her safe on campus thanks to the "Rave Guardian Campus Safety App."

EXTRA: More Info On The Rave Guardian Campus Safety App

"When I park across campus, the path walking from that parking deck to where I live is kind of dark and scary at night," Rosenkrantz said.

New Jersey's Montclair State University recently started offering students the free "Guardian" app. It comes with an emergency button that triggers an alarm at the campus police station.

Police Chief Paul Cell said the program immediately tells officers who the student is and where he or she can be located.

"We get the entire pedigree of the person," Cell said. "So we'll get their name. We have a photo of what they'll look like. And then the map here triangulates the location of the phone."

Amarilis DeJesus, a Montclair State student, said she likes another feature on the app that lets her set a timer when she's walking alone on campus. If she doesn't make it to her destination in a certain amount of time, it notifies the police and her friends.

"I have night classes, so I'm walking around campus like around 10:30, 10:45 at night," she said.

Cell admitted the majority of the time the app triggers false alarms.

"That's OK," he said. "We'd rather our students feel safe than take any chances."

"Guardian" also allows students to text police anonymous tips.

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