Laker Guardian is a free and optional personal safety app available to GVSU students, faculty, and staff who have a GVSU login.

RAVE Guardian transforms your smartphone into a personal alarm beacon. In the event of an emergency, critical information you elect to share will be provided to GVPD to enable them to locate you quickly.

No. Your privacy is of the utmost importance. You can only be located if you have asked for help. Laker Guardian is only enabled when you choose to make an emergency call, send a tip or when your safety timer expires.

No. GVPD will only be able to obtain your information if you have asked for help. Laker Guardian is only activated when you choose to activate it on your smartphone.

No, GVPD is only notified of your timer expiring if you have selected GVPD to be your primary guardian or secondary guardian.

Laker Guardian includes a false deactivation code to alert GVPD, which is one number higher than your PIN. For example, if your PIN is 1234, you may enter 1235. Laker Guardian will appear to turn off normally, but GVPD will be alerted. Please refer to your Laker Guardian profile page under the "Learn More" tab.

When using the timer, the user receives a reminder message at 5 minutes and 1 minute before expiring. If it expires, a call goes active immediately to your chosen guardian(s), and they can call your cell phone. 

If GVPD is your chosen guardian, the call also displays the PIN used to set the timer, and GVPD Dispatch can verify if the person on the phone is the registered user or is in distress.

No. Your name, phone number and profile are displayed to GVPD when you send a tip through the Laker Guardian app.

To report a crime or provide information anonymously, you may contact Silent Observer. 

• Ottawa County Silent Observer
• Kent County Silent Observer

You will opt in to this service and provide as much information as you would like as part of the registration process.

To maximize the full benefit of this service, your user profile should contain a current photo and accurate self-description. The more information you provide in your profile, the easier it will be for GVPD to locate you, if necessary. Any information in your personal profile will only be viewed by GVPD if you make an emergency call, send a tip, or if GVPD is your guardian when your safety timer session expires.

Personal profile information will be treated as confidential information.

Yes. RAVE Mobile Safety (the provider of Laker Guardian) uses the latest in security technologies and processes to ensure that all of your information is kept secure and private. RAVE also undergoes regular security audits to ensure the information security of data.

The features of the app will work off campus. However, if you have an emergency at an off-campus location, you should dial 911. The tip feature is for campus locations only.

Absolutely! When on-campus, you can contact GVPD for non-emergencies at (616)331-3255. When you are off-campus, call 911 or visit the non-emergency contact page for additional contact information.

If you change your cell phone number, you should log into your Laker Guardian account and update your profile with your new number. You will not be asked to create a new profile. However, this is the perfect time to review your existing information and confirm the remainder of the information is up to date.

The basic profile features of Laker Guardian work on any iPhone or Android smartphone running on any U.S.-based mobile carrier network with the app installed on it.

Laker Guardian can locate most smartphone devices on the AT&T, Sprint and Verizon networks.

Laker Guardian works with most smartphones, on practically any carrier. If Laker Guardian cannot determine your phone's location, all other profile information will be made available to GVPD when you use Laker Guardian.

No. Your cell phone will receive a text message that provides you with a confirmation number indicating that your cell phone has been registered. No other advertisements or spam will be sent to your cell phone from Laker Guardian.

Yes. Factors include, but are not limited to:

• whether or not you are calling from inside a building or a "dead spot"
• the strength of your cell signal, such as proximity of cell towers or satellites
• whether or not your phone is GPS enabled
• the type and quality of your phone, carrier and signal

If possible, you should provide detailed location information via text or voice. This will enable GVPD personnel to reach you quickly when Laker Guardian is activated.

Yes. Laker Guardian will also work with wifi; however, the features are limited.

You will still be able to send a tip or use the safety timer. When you make an emergency call on wifi, a voice call will not be placed, but your profile information and general location will be made available to GVPD.

The call 911 feature in the app works only with cell phone service.