Indiana University officials say emergency phones installed on the Bloomington campus are worth the $400,000 expense even though few people use them to report emergencies.
More than 40 phone boxes are stationed around campus. Each has a direct 911 line to the IU police department and features a full keypad so users can place local telephone calls.
Campus police Chief Keith Cash tells The Herald-Times (http://bit.ly/PdK1Yv ) that officers have never responded to an assault reported through the devices. But he says the boxes can help deter crime by flashing blue lights whenever an emergency call goes out.
Some students question how useful the phones are in an age of widespread cellphone use.
IU Parking Manager Doug Porter notes that cellphone batteries can die.
