Walking-escort use is down for the year, but went up in March.
Thus far this year, 2,376 walking escorts have been used. At this point in 2007, 2,985 walking-escort requests had been made.
In March this year, 874 escorts were used compared to 840 last March.
Division of Public Safety officials said there's not a clear reason for the year-to-date drop.
Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said the drop could be the result of cold weather, people walking less or because winter break was longer this year. She also suggested that the drop could be the result of people feeling safer on the streets because there are more officers patrolling the streets.
She did not specify how many more officers are on streets.
Rush also could not attribute a single cause to March's rise in use.
Rush said she doesn't think that an AlliedBarton guard exposing himself to a female student he was escorting home in November affected escort use.
"We have people who constantly use it and people who are brand new," she said.
After the incident, guards started wearing IDs and carrying courtesy cards with identification on them, Rush said. DPS has also asked for feedback from users since the incident and has received "44 kudos" and no negative responses.
"The incident upset the officers and they want to make a personal point that that guy doesn't reflect them," Rush said.
Engineering sophomore Mariam Georges, who uses walking escorts "sometimes late at night," said she hasn't had problems with the escort system. She said she doesn't feel less safe after the exposure incident because "I know it was just one person."
Wharton freshman Dan Green has not used the service yet because he is "usually surrounded by a bunch of guy friends." He said that the exposure incident would not stop him from using the service.
"I don't care if the guy shows me whatever. I just want him to walk me home," he said.
