The Huskie Patrol is the weeknight watchdog of student safety on campus.

Students who feel uncomfortable walking alone at night can call the Huskie Patrol to escort them from one location to another through the Walk Safe service.

Sophomore nursing major Raven Marshall said she joined the Huskie Patrol staff because she used the Walk Safe service as a freshman.

“I didn’t want to walk by myself,” she said, “I was nervous.”

When a student calls for an escort, a dispatcher in the Huskie Patrol Office, located in the B-wing basement of Lincoln Hall, notifies Patrollers of the request.

Two Huskie Patrollers arrive within the time it takes them to walk to the location.

The Patrol receives a lot of requests from students needing an escort from Founders Memorial Library to a residence hall, especially late at night during finals week. For this location, the Patrol usually arrives within 25 minutes after the call was made.

The staff accompany students to and from any location on or off-campus.

Huskie Patrol supervisor sophomore sociology major Ashlin Skariya said he doesn’t mind walking as far as Greek Row to make students feel safe.

“Our main concern is making sure people are all right,” Skariya said.

The Huskie Patrol is a student-run unit of the Department of Police and Public Safety.

When not escorting students, two to six staff members patrol the parking lots surrounding Grant Towers, the Student Recreation Center and the Convocation Center.

Patrollers look for broken windows on buildings and cars, or anything suspicious.

Huskie Patrollers also watch out for students posing a threat to themselves or others.

The staff alerts the Department of Public Safety to crime through their dispatcher and serve as witnesses when necessary.

The work of the Huskie Patrol is “an integral part of what [the NIU Police] do,” said Police Sgt. Ramon Holland, the director of the Huskie Patrol. They provide “an extra set of eyes and ears” for the force.

The Huskie Patrol employs 20 students and operates from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Monday through Friday.

The Patrol will be in full force the weekend of homecoming, patrolling and escorting students from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Oct. 10 and 11.