As the fall semester begins and campus comes back to life, we want to share a few important reminders and resources regarding safety—both on and off campus.
Statistically, UW–Madison and the City of Madison are safe communities. However, like any large city, our campus area is not immune to crime. For that reason, we maintain robust programs focused on prevention, enforcement, compassionate victim support, and keeping our community informed.
We share our borders with the City of Madison — and, thus, we have a strong relationship with our partners at the City of Madison Police Department. We routely work together and share information about issues and incidents that impact our campus community.
We encourage you to visit the UWPD Welcome Page for a comprehensive guide to campus safety. Below are key highlights regarding our alert systems and safety tools:
BadgerSAFE: Your Personal Safety App
Take your safety into your own hands with BadgerSAFE, UWPD’s free mobile safety app. BadgerSAFE turns your smartphone into a personal safety device and is available for everyone—students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members (no account creation required).
Key features in the app include:
-
Friend Walk: Send your real-time location to a trusted contact so they can watch you walk to your destination and trigger emergency services if necessary.
-
Alerts in One Place: Receive push notifications for both campus-wide WiscAlerts and Off-Campus Emergency Alerts (OCEAs).
-
Connect with UWPD: Quickly call or text directly with a UWPD dispatcher for non-emergencies (always dial 911 for active emergencies).
-
“I’m OK” Button: Instantly send your location and a check-in message to loved ones during an incident.
-
Campus Resources: One-tap access to vital campus support services and emergency procedures.
BadgerSAFE is available for free on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Emergency Notifications (WiscAlerts)
WiscAlerts is UW–Madison’s emergency notification system, designed to provide critical information during an active on-campus emergency requiring immediate safety action.
-
Students & Staff: Every campus email address automatically receives WiscAlerts. Students are also automatically enrolled to receive text alerts.
-
Parents & Community Members: Download the BadgerSAFE app to receive push notifications.
-
Learn more about WiscAlerts and emergency notifications here.
Off-Campus Emergency Alerts (OCEAs)
To keep our community informed about incidents near campus, UWPD provides Off-Campus Emergency Alerts (OCEAs). These serve as a supplement to WiscAlerts:
-
OCEAs notify the community about significant threats in designated off-campus areas where large numbers of students live, study, or gather. View the OCEA map here.
-
Because these incidents occur outside UWPD jurisdiction, alerts are generated only after UWPD receives and verifies information from the City of Madison Police Department.
-
Unlike WiscAlerts, Off-Campus Emergency Alerts are distributed exclusively via the BadgerSAFE app.
Crime Warnings
Crime Warnings are campus-wide email notices required under the federal Clery Act.
-
These warnings are issued only when a specific Clery-reportable crime occurs within defined Clery geography and poses a serious or continuing threat to the campus community.
-
Because of these strict federal guidelines, the majority of everyday incidents on and around campus do not warrant a Crime Warning.