In anticipation of the large crowds expected to flood Westwood
following the UCLA-USC football game at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum
this Saturday, the Los Angeles Police Department and UCPD have
teamed up in an attempt to ensure that things don’t get out
of hand.
Because of the heightened rivalry that has developed between the
Bruins and Trojans this year ““ USC is trying to keep its
33-game winning streak alive and UCLA is looking to end a
successful season on a good note ““ the university wants to
make sure that everyone remains safe following the game, said Nancy
Greenstein, director of police community services.
Officer Michael Moore, an LAPD senior lead officer for the
Westwood area, said that the department has put together a task
force of officers from around the city in order to keep all
post-game festivities ““ whether they consist of mourning a
loss or celebrating a win ““ under control.
Several squads of varying sizes will be sent to the area around
campus, one of which is expected to consist of at least 44
officers, according to Moore. He also said to expect a combination
of patrols conducted by officers on foot, on motorcycle and by
vehicle.
Moore said that the LAPD will be operating under a
zero-tolerance policy for serious infractions, such as drinking in
public, and also for actions that might normally only garner a
warning, such as jaywalking and public littering.
There is also a possibility that students may be punished by the
university if their actions are deemed severe enough to be a threat
to the safety of the community, as outlined in the
university’s code of conduct, said Robert Naples, assistant
vice chancellor of student and campus life.
“If (the UCLA community) is unhappy after the game,
don’t go out looking for trouble,” he said.
“If you’re celebrating, recognize that there’s
a possibility that there will be a strong police presence and stay
in control.”
Naples also said that letters were sent to fraternities and
sororities to caution them against falling into “negative
stereotypes” and to remind them to stay safe, which he hopes
will be the case for all students.
Business owners in the surrounding neighborhood and campus
facilities officials are also taking some additional steps to
prepare for this weekend.
Josh Norman, the manager of Maloney’s, a popular bar in
Westwood, said that he plans to have extra staff working on
Saturday. He expects the bar to be busy all day and night
regardless of if the Bruins win or not.
Rick Wan, assistant director of the Office of Residential Life,
said that the On-Campus Housing Council will be offering a free
viewing of the game on the Hill in the Grand Horizon Room of Covel
Commons.
Following the game, ORL will have the normal amount of resident
assistant duty staff working on Saturday night, but it plans to
increase the number of resident directors on duty from one to
four.
Wan said that ORL wants everyone to be safe whether or not the
Bruins win the game.
“We encourage people to be safe. Celebrate with pride; do
it with dignity. We will, of course, if victory occurs, be excited
and mindful of not causing damage to people or property,” he
said.
Moore advises students to be responsible with their celebrations
if the team does win the game.
“Try to pick a location to celebrate and stay there.
Don’t bring your celebrations out onto the sidewalks or
streets,” he said.
“If some people decide to go beyond the scope of normal
celebration for the day, certainly don’t go out and watch
them or join them. The best thing to do is stay indoors and away
from such activity,” he added.
In years past, the UCLA-USC game has led to some close calls
with safety.
On December 3, 1958, a couple weeks after the rivalry game on
Nov. 22, a homemade time bomb was discovered under the
cheerleader’s platform at the Coliseum on the UCLA side of
the field, according to Daily Bruin archives.
The bomb had been set to go off at 2 p.m., the kickoff time for
the UCLA-USC game that year, but had not exploded due to a
malfunction in the triggering mechanism.
Had the bomb exploded, it could have killed anyone within 50
feet of its location, including UCLA cheerleaders, the Bruin Band
and Rally Committee and students watching the game, according to
police at the time.