Hey so I have lived about 25 mins away from UChicago my whole life and I can tell you it is pretty safe. Hyde Park is actually a really nice neighborhood. My parents lived there for a while and never had any problems. In fact, Rahm Emmanuel (mayor of chicago) lives in Hyde Park, and the Obamas live in the neighboring Kenwood. Uchicago has lots of safety on campus as extra precaution and they have a shuttle system. I did a summer program at uchicago where we stayed on campus and we had no problems then either. Obviously you should be safe (like you should be in any urban setting) and do not walk alone and what not, but if you are in Hyde Park it is unlikely you would have any issues.