Safewalk is largely a student-run operation, organized by student Community Service Officials (CSO's) through UCPD. Our CSO's undergo a thorough training process so as to provide safety and police contact on and off campus.
CSO Dispatchers work behind the scenes to answer calls and requests, and coordinate for a CSO to arrive to your pick-up location and escort you to your end location . Safewalk Requests are received and dispatch via our Downtowner app, and you will be able to receive updates through text on when your Safewalk has arrived to your location.
To book a free walking escort, download our Downtowner app and request service. You can make request by phone (510) 642-9255 (642-WALK).
Please make your request no earlier than 15-20 minutes before your desired pick up time. The last call for a walking escort is accepted at 2:30am. Certain nights throughout the week are busier than others and may result in a long queue of Safewalk requests.
UCPD's Community Service Officers ( CSOs ) provide this walking escort from dusk until last pick up at 2:30am, 365 nights a year.
For safety and physical limitations, Safewalk CSO's will meet you at and walk you to locations within these: Service Boundaries. Requests outside of these boundaries will not be approved by the CSO Dispatcher.
During the Fall/Winter time, the earliest request can be made at 6:00pm.
During Spring/Summer, the earliest pick up time will change to 7:00pm.
Last call/request for anytime in the year is 2:30am. Any requests or calls following 2:30am will be transferred over to the Door-to-Door Service.
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No. Reservations in advance of 15 minutes aren’t accepted as the Safewalk CSO cannot wait longer than 5 minutes for you to meet them when they have arrived. We will dispatch the next available SafeWalk CSO when we receive your call.
Note: Safewalk dispatches your walk as soon as possible and aims to meet you within 15 minutes, but during peak hours (typically between 11pm and 1 am), there can be some service delays due to heavy call amount.
The Downtowner app will send you a notification on your device notifying you that your Safewalk CSO has arrived. A Safewalk team member may also call you if the CSO has arrived and hasn't made contact with you in 3 minutes. Make sure to answer the call to hear exactly where the CSO is waiting for you. CSO's will meet you at the main exit of a building unless otherwise arranged.
If you are concerned about the whereabouts of your CSO, call Safewalk at (510) 642-9255 to confirm the pickup location. We don’t want you to not meet your walker within the 5-minute limit simply because you don't know where they are, as your request will be marked as a "No Show" and be canceled!
Remember: Always wait in inside a building and in a safe place for your SafeWalk CSO.
CSO's always wear bright yellow polo shirts along with blue jackets that either have "CSO" or "Safewalk" on the back. The polo and jackets have "Berkeley Safewalk" on the left breast.
The CSO Program is constantly growing, and we are continuously looking for ways to improve our Safewalk service. If you have any concerns, you can contact UCPD any time at the non-emergency number 510-642-6760, or email us at cso@berkeley.edu or police@berkeley.edu.
