CSOs in uniform: Benjamin Reyes (left), Anna Fuller, and Donovan Blaine. Photo by Jenne Mowry.

UCPD
UC Police Department (UCPD) is a dedicated, full-service police department. Officers receive the same basic training as police officers throughout the state, plus additional training to meet the unique needs of a campus environment (police.berkeley.edu).

Emergency phones are located throughout campus and are easily identified by a blue light on top of the phone box or column. You can call the police, fire department, or an ambulance by pressing the red button or dialing 911.

UCPD’s Night Safety Services, BearWALK and the Owl Service van, are provided by uniformed, radio-equipped, and trained Community Service Officers (like Ben!). Call BearWALK to request a CSO to walk with you to and from night shuttle stops, nearby residences, public transportation, or parking facilities after dark. The Owl Service van can pick up from a campus location, including all campus housing, and drop off within service area boundaries by phone request from 2AM to 6AM. Both services are free and available 365 days per year (police.berkeley.edu; call 510/642-WALK).

Parking & Transportation provides safe nighttime transit between campus, the residence halls, and BART with its free Night Safety Shuttles. Check the website for more info on Bear Transit routes and schedules (pt.berkeley.edu).

The buddy system at Berkeley: staying safe with BearWALK

As you begin your time here in Berkeley, you will come to discover the wonder that is BearWALK. While I am very happy that I became a part of the night safety BearWALK program, I have to admit that I’d never envisioned myself in a job where I’d walk around in the middle of the night, meeting and making conversations with countless numbers of different people.

This is actually the first job that I’ve ever had. I was an outgoing person in high school, but I primarily concentrated on my studies, volunteering, and band. At Cal, I was having a hard time finding a job that fit into my schedule because my days were packed with classes that were spread out so widely that nothing fit quite right. After looking at a website showing all of the student job opportunities available, I found one that suited my schedule perfectly. It was a late night job (so I wouldn’t have to worry about classes), I only had to work twice a week (so I could concentrate on my studies), and the pay started at $11.90. A few days later I picked up an application, and before I knew it, I was a part of the University of California Police Department’s Community Service Officer (CSO) family.

Training to be a CSO is a serious undertaking. For six shifts, you patrol with an officer, learning the ropes and getting an idea of how the job works. You have to memorize the name and location of every UC-owned building on campus, as well as every street in the area. In addition to a flashlight and uniform, you get a radio to use on patrol, which means you need to learn all of the police codes so that you can understand calls that come through and communicate back effectively. When I first started, I was not too enthusiastic about working the 11PM to 6AM shift—I had never stayed out that late before—but now it is my favorite patrol. Because it is so late, it is generally a lot less structured and more quiet.

Before I became a CSO, the only facet of the program that I knew about was BearWALK. This made me think of people in bright yellow jackets, biking around campus way-too-late at night. It’s a great service that runs from dusk to 2AM. You just call 642-WALK, and a uniformed escort will meet you and walk you home. It has now been over a year since I joined, and I have become a supervisor in the program! Lo and behold, I was able to get over all of the doubts that I had, and this past year has been fun and enriching because of it. Furthermore, I now feel that BearWALK is one of the more enjoyable parts of what I do in my job.

As I became a part of the program and completed my training, I started to force myself out of my comfort zone and really make a point of being more outgoing with new people. Some of my best friends are people that I have met on the job. Community Service Officers spend a lot of time together at work, and we bond through the unique experiences that we share while on shift. One thing that has really changed for me as a CSO is my attitude toward police officers. Before I had this job, I had sort of the stereotypical image of them as authority figures: aloof, intimidating, and in-charge. Now I know that they are just regular people, people I joke with and share stories with, not some sort of separate law-and-order robot clan.

I also have had many new experiences with the people I escorted home. We see a good number of people during the year, so I have met many different personalities. It has been quite an experience interacting with so many different types of people, learning their backgrounds, and talking with them about anything and everything. Through these conversations—and many other experiences—I feel I have learned a lot about the world outside of my bubble.

Of the many experiences that I have had during my time with the CSO program, the most important have taught me lessons about teamwork and leadership. I have learned to cooperate with different people (even if I do not get along well with them), and I have learned how to inspire people to do their best work and how to enjoy it. I have also developed strong interview skills. To get promoted, I had to undergo rigorous interviews, and my boss gave me incredibly useful tips that have helped me do well.

Not all of my memories here have been skill-related, though. Many interesting events have happened to me during work. One of my favorite memories was when a group of my co-workers and I happened upon a herd of deer traveling through Foothill. It was a great sight, and strange for such an urban environment. I also have many fond memories of things that my co-workers and I have done outside of work. Sometimes we have gone to breakfast after our very late shift (it ends at 6 AM). Even though we are all dead tired, we have a lot of fun hanging out at such an obscene hour of the morning.

Have a fun and safe first semester, and remember, if ever you want a walk at night, just flip your Cal 1 Card over and call our number 510/642-WALK. We’ll be there with a smile to take you wherever you want to go.

— Benjamin Reyes, Sophomore
Formerly a Mechanical
Engineering major,
now a History major
From Santa Ana, California