Uber is giving people in Chicago a way to get a hold of the cops during an emergency by adding a "panic button" to its app in the city.
The launch of the safety device, which Uber officials also referred to on Thursday as an SOS button, comes just after two Uber drivers in the Windy City were charged with sexually assaulting passengers, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
While Uber's Midwest Regional Manager Andrew MacDonald didn't provide a specific launch date for the feature, he did say that it will happen in the "next several months."
The panic button debuted last week in India, along with another "safety net" feature, after an Uber passenger claimed to have been raped by a driver, the Chicago Tribune reported. With the safety net feature, riders can share details about their trip and location with as many as five other people.
The ride-sharing service also plans on ensuring riders' safety with a local team that will receive a notification whenever a passenger presses a panic button and respond to their reports.
The secret shopper program consists of 10 off-duty Chicago police officers who will take Uber rides one day a month, the S-T reported. Drivers already know that the program exists, but Uber General Manager Chris Taylor said these officers will not set up conditions that would leave riders vulnerable, such as being intoxicated late at night.
Taylor also said that it has yet to be determined if Chicago will be the first U.S. city to test the panic button, but added that the feature will "become something that is more broadly used" as improvements are made.
