Seminars in Naperville offer campus safety tips

Imagine pressing a green button on a cellphone app whenever you need safety tips.

Developers of the StreetSafe app — Chicago-based PeopleGuard — say a “walk with me service” allows users to contact a trained safety adviser at the press of a button. And they’ll stay on the phone with users until they reach their destination.

While the app is most popular with young professionals walking in urban areas, StreetSafe is sponsoring safety seminars in Naperville targeting college students and their parents. The free seminars are at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 10, in the Nichols Library in downtown Naperville and 7 p.m. Monday, May 14, in the 95th Street Library.

Cynthia Flores, a safety consultant at StreetSafe, will present a series of safety tips, including how to research tools and services to prevent sexual assaults. According to a 2010 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80 percent of female victims experienced their first rape before the age of 25.

“I always want to be proactive with the community,” Flores said. “If this is something I can do to help prevent any types of crime on or around campuses, I’m willing to do it.”

She’ll also explain the dangers of drinking alcohol and ways to get students thinking about their surroundings when they navigate campus areas.

“Always let people know where you’re going,” Flores said. “Always travel in pairs.”

StreetSafe reps will be on hand to guide attendees through using the phone application. StreetSafe offers several subscription plans, ranging from $19.99 a month to $149.99 a year.

The service has another feature: a red button that directs StreetSafe operators to contact users’ local 911 center with their physical description, exact GPS location and other ID information.

What about privacy? Can parents track their kids?

Tom Baer, a spokesman for StreetSafe, said the information is shared only with StreetSafe’s 24/7 call center and police “in the event we need to call police.”

“Is it an end-all for every situation? No,” Baer said. “But it’s something that hopefully can make people feel more comfortable and make people feel more safe.”

Baer said the seminars are designed to be informational, not commercial.

To reserve a spot at the seminar, email StreetSafeSeminars@peopleguard.com.