Residents are reacting in a wide range of ways a week after the
seventh sexual battery in a month was reported in Westwood.
Many say recent crimes ““ including a string of 14
robberies in the Westwood area between May and October ““ have
not affected their day-to-day activity or their perception that the
neighborhood is safe.
But some say they have become more cautious, trying to stay
aware of their surroundings, particularly at night or when
alone.
Shumaila Ahmad, a first-year undeclared student, said though she
feels the area is safe, she used an escort service a few days last
week after hearing about the batteries.
Third-year political science student Melissa Trujillo and her
roommates, who live on Landfair Avenue, where several of the
batteries occurred, have begun driving each other to and from
campus at night.
And Katherine Loi, a third-year psychobiology student, carries
pepper spray wherever she goes.
“I’m really scared. … It seems like there is more
crime,” she said.
Of 18 students interviewed Monday, all but one knew about the
recent batteries, and fewer than five hadn’t heard about last
year’s robberies.
Crime has not been limited to one area in Westwood; on Jan. 5, a
suspect used a sharp object to threaten employees at the Cooperage
in Ackerman Union, demanding cash. A patron in Habibi Cafe on
Broxton Avenue, was struck on Christmas morning by a stray bullet
fired from outside.
Still, crime is a reality in an urban environment and Westwood
remains “a safe place,” said Nancy Greenstein, director
of police community services. University police posts alerts on its
Web site to update the public about notable incidents or trends in
crime.
Ash Trivedi, a graduate student in public health, said he
learned about the batteries from watching the news. While he has
not altered his daily routine, some of his female friends have.
“They’re definitely worried,” said Trivedi,
who studied microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at UCLA
as an undergraduate. “Before, they had the peace of mind of
walking around without a companion. Now they insist on it.
“It’s kind of shocking something like that would
happen here,” he added.
With crime as the topic of discussion, several students cited
USC’s turf as a more dangerous part of town. While Westwood
is generally considered a “nice area,” USC, near
Crenshaw in south Los Angeles, has a reputation for being
crime-ridden.
Ten sex offenses were reported off-campus near UCLA between 2002
and 2004, along with four robberies and 17 aggravated assaults,
according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of
Postsecondary Education. USC’s numbers for the same period
were 20 sex offenses, 64 robberies and 11 aggravated assaults.
Westwood seems safe even after dark because of the steady stream
of people walking in the area, residents said.
As the sky grew dim late Monday afternoon, dozens of students
navigated Westwood’s hilly streets on foot. Some were on
their way home from Village coffee shops or grocery stores. Others
were jogging or heading off to campus to play sports.
Even when the sun was down, pedestrian traffic kept the
sidewalks busy.
The neighborhood is one where students regularly see familiar
faces and police out on patrol, which adds to the comfort level
residents have, said third-year political science student Melissa
Kozera and Demet Yildirim, a former UCLA extension student.
The two have lived in Westwood about four months, and said they
feel at ease walking in the area, as they were doing after sundown
early Monday evening.
Crime happens everywhere, said Kim Ofria, a third-year
communication studies student. And the Village is a “nice
area” despite recent events, she said. “It’s not
like we’re in Compton.”
With reports from Derek Lipkin, Bruin senior staff.