New ambassador program helping keep downtown safe, clean for community

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Those red shirts you keep seeing in downtown Iowa City represent a new program that enhances the safety and cleanliness of the area for community members, including University of Iowa faculty, staff, students, and families.

The city of Iowa City and the Iowa City Downtown District partnered with Block by Block Management Systems to bring a new program, Downtown Iowa City Ambassadors, to the community in June. Courtesy of those individuals in the red shirts, the program provides ambassador, cleaning, and hospitality services to the downtown area, which Block by Block does for other communities across the country.

"Our purpose at the Iowa City Downtown District is to make the downtown a better place to live, work, and play, and we combined our resources with the city of Iowa City to keep doing that with Block by Block," says Joe Reilly, nighttime mayor for the Iowa City Downtown District.

Block by Block and the Downtown District also have been working with the UI to ensure the program is helpful to students and their families, in part by introducing new safety measures.

"We support the community but also UI students," says Adam Schweitzer, operations manager for Downtown Iowa City Ambassadors. "We want to create a clean, safe environment for the campus, and we want students and their families to patronize our downtown."

Ambassadors work until midnight, and Schweitzer says the late-night shifts will be dedicated to making sure people get home safely. This includes letting students know about campus safety resources, such as how to call Nite Ride for a safe ride home or how to use the Rave Guardian app. Ambassadors also can connect people with the UI Police Department if needed. Ambassadors also act as "after hours escorts" and can walk students back to their residence hall or apartment if it's close to downtown.

"We want students to know that if they see someone wearing a red Ambassadors shirt, that is someone they are safe with and someone who will help them," Schweitzer says.

The new program also goes hand in hand with the UI's alcohol harm reduction plan to combat high-risk drinking.

"We have a close relationship with the Iowa City Downtown District," says Tanya Villhauer, UI assistant dean of well-being and basic needs. "We recognize the value they bring to students, faculty, and staff, and we're intertwined. We're responsible for supporting downtown just as they support the university."

As part of the alcohol harm reduction plan, Villhauer says UI had been focused on creating "protective environments" to help keep students safe, such as working with the Downtown District to increase lighting. The Downtown Iowa City Ambassadors will play a big role in that.

"The ambassadors are going to be there to see what's going on, identify problems, and communicate back to us," Villhauer says. "This is a great opportunity for the university to help support students who may be in need when frequenting downtown. It's a multi-pronged approach using a lot of different strategies to help keep students safe, and Block by Block is supporting that strategy."

In addition to a safety role, Downtown Iowa City Ambassadors will prioritize keeping downtown Iowa City clean by providing trash removal, weed removal, graffiti removal, and street sweeping.

"We want to make sure there are multiple uses for each space," Schweitzer says. "We want people to have fun at night, but then get things cleaned up and ready for the kids playing at the playground and in the fountain the next day."

Ambassadors will also act as information guides during busy weekends on campus, such as commencement, football games, and Hawkeye visit days. This includes having a presence in parking ramps, both to answer questions and to make sure people walking through ramps - especially at night - arrive at their vehicles safely.

"Our ambassadors will be on the lookout for people who look like they need a map or have questions about where to go," Schweitzer says. "It's about offering those little services that make it feel more homey and not so intimidating."

Reilly says the ambassadors have already made a positive impact during the summer's big events, from the Block Party to the Jazz Festival.

"The downtown district is always trying to elevate the experience for people down here, whether they're our visitors, students, or business owners," Reilly says. "In terms of cleanliness and safety, the ambassador program has already moved the needle."