Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, campus safety has been one
of the most prevalent issues at UCLA, with administrators and
security officials taking every chance to inform and safeguard the
university against crime.
Initially, security concerns focused on the possibility of
further terrorism targeting universities, and hate crimes ensuing
as a backlash to the acts. But over the last month, discussions
about campus security have taken on a completely different nature
following a sexual assault which took place in one of the De Neve
Plaza buildings.
The incident has caused widespread reaction both around the
dormitories on the Hill and on campus, where personal safety has
been brought to the immediate attention of students.
The Housing Administration, the Office of Residential Life and
the student On-Campus Housing Council rushed to address these
issues and reassured students of their safety on the residential
hill.
“We are in the process of collecting and evaluating all
the recommendations (on how to improve safety in the dorms). We
want to do it carefully and in an informed manner because if we
affect changes, we want to do it for the right reasons,” said
Director of Housing Michael Foraker.
The Safety and Security Committee, designed to heighten
awareness about safety issues, is being reviewed and ways to
improve it are being sought, said ORL Director Suzanne Seplow.
Community Service Officers and resident assistants will also
address safety, she added.
“We will focus on living as a community and the
responsibility that each student has on safety,” said
Seplow.
The OCHC has also created a new committee called the Access
Control Task Force to gather information on various safety
issues.
“We will see how students feel, who should be getting
access where, and how long guest passes will be valid,” said
OCHC chair Michelle Sivert.
“We all know that this was a very egregious event,”
Foraker said. “We need to remain vigilant to retain our own
welfare.”
With the passage of time, worries and fear approach the
pre-assault level, but students still remain cautious.
“They will definitely keep their doors closed now, but
they’re not worried to the point where they’ll move
out,” said Alexie Agdeppa, a program assistant in De
Neve.
Posters put up in the dorms and meetings held by the De Neve
resident director and RAs informed students of updates on what had
occurred and how to prevent the same mistakes from being made.
Suggestions included not letting strangers in through the front
door and not bolting the doors while the door is open so that they
will be able to close completely.
“There isn’t much you can do other than be aware of
who’s on your floor, who’s in your community, but
it’s hard to know everyone,” said second-year Kyle
Hanano, who is studying Japanese and is an external vice president
in De Neve.
Though De Neve residents felt disturbed by news of the assault
because of the close proximity of the event, residents of other
halls have expressed that they still feel safe in their rooms.
“A lot of the people on my floor didn’t feel very
impacted (by the assault). They were concerned and wanted to know
what had happened, but they didn’t feel personally endangered
since it seemed so far away,” said Terrie Tran, a resident
assistant of Rieber Hall.
Residence hall students also expressed feeling more secure
because of buildings features that De Neve does not offer.
“It’s safer living here because we have access
monitors and an environment that’s more densely
populated,” said Tony Chang, a resident director of Rieber
Hall.
“You have to go through a lot of stuff to get up here (to
the rooms), and there’s a lot more people here to watch out
for you,” said first-year aerospace engineering student Kelly
Harmon, a resident of Rieber Hall.
Whereas residence hall denizens have to go through an access
control desk and ID swipers to go up the stairs or elevators, De
Neve and Sunset residents only need to swipe their ID once at the
front door in order to reach their rooms.
And while many students in residence halls feel more secure
because of the access control desks, some De Neve residents wonder
if implementing similar desks in De Neve would have the desired
effect.
“Even if we had them, what if the assaulters were people
from this school? It’s hard to monitor against that,”
said second-year biochemistry student Denise Chen, a De Neve
resident.
Concerns about safety on the Hill have also caused some students
to be anxious about their safety when they are on campus late at
night. Female students in particular voiced their distress over
feeling a lack of security, while male students were less inclined
to express any fears about personal safety.
“We have an open campus that anyone can get onto if they
choose,” said Trang Tram, a first-year undeclared student.
“I never go on campus at night unless I’m with someone
else.”
Christina Jensen, a fourth-year anthropology student, said she
often worried about walking alone back to her car parked in Lot 3
when she had evening classes ending late.
“It can be kind of scary walking back through the
sculpture garden at night because it’s dark and I hardly see
anyone walking on campus at that hour,” she said.
Jensen also remarked that female students attending her late
classes will often pair up to walk home or back to their cars
together at night.
“There almost is a buddy system,” she said.
Failing to secure a companion to walk with, a student can always
use the security escort service provided by CSOs.
Matt Ellis, assistant manager of CSO programs for UCPD, said
using the escort program was the safest way to travel around campus
late at night. But despite its availability and the wide physical
range the escorts serve, the popularity of the program has declined
steadily since the mid- 1980s.
“People do feel a lot safer on campus than they used to,
mainly because the lighting available now is much better than it
used to be,” he said.
Nicole Gomez, a fourth-year economics and international studies
student, praised the escort service which she has used on nights
when she is studying late in Powell Library.
“Such a program is very useful and important for a campus
of this size,” she said. “But I don’t think
enough girls take the time to wait for the escorts and make use of
them.”
CSOs also offer an evening van service ““ six vans which
run bus routes around the campus every 15 minutes.
Ellis said the van service logs around 90,000 passengers every
calendar year, while running only during fall, winter and spring
quarters.
“The best way to combat security problems on campus is for
people to be more aware of their surroundings and to be responsible
for themselves,” Ellis said.
And despite news of the recent sexual assault causing uproar in
the community, the incidence of violent crimes are relatively small
at UCLA.
UCPD press aide Nancy Greenstein said most crimes occurring on
campus are property crimes that are opportunistic in nature.
“Usually thefts occur when cars are left unlocked with
valuables in sight or when laptops are left lying around in public
places like Powell Library,” she said.
“Most of the more serious crimes occur between people who
know each other, like workers or roommates, and usually only
involve some pushing or shoving,” she continued.