UC Berkeley Parents Use Private Security To Protect Students From Rising Crime on Campus

Parents of students at the University of California at Berkeley have been forced to turn to private security to protect their children on campus.

“The fact is if they’re not going to act, despite repeated pleas from parents and students to take more substantial action, then we’re going to act,” one parent, Sagar Jethani, said. “We’re going to do what needs to be done to keep our family safe.”

Jethani claimed that parents are taking action to show the school they are not going to wait until they take action.

“We want to, frankly, turn up the heat with the administration,” Jethani continued. “We want to show that we’re not content to just wait forever to have these safety ambassadors deployed.”

Parents with the group Safe Bears announced their intentions on the group’s website.

“We are 1,300+ Cal parents and community allies working to improve safety for UC Berkeley students through strategic planning, advocacy, and outreach to campus administration, student organizations, local law enforcement, city government, and safety experts at universities across the country. SafeBears is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization,” the group said.

Safe Bears reports a 20 percent increase in local robberies, trespassers gaining access to residence halls, threats, and violence at Berkeley.