Safety is always a concern for late-night pedestrians at UCLA. Walking home in the dark is commonplace for a school where students work late, research nightly and party regularly.
Thankfully, the Undergraduate Students Associated Council has been taking an active role in campus safety via its Strathmore Safe Rides program, an appropriate action and an instance of student government doing its job well.
The program, initiated spring 2010 after five attempted assaults occurred around campus within one month, offers a shuttle service on Thursday nights to students who live on Hilgard Avenue and the Hill.
With the Safe Rides program being implemented permanently, the next step should be looking into extending its operating days and serving students who live south of Wilshire Boulevard.
Although Thursday nights, with the abundance of parties throughout Westwood Village, may have the greatest need for late-night safety measures, the Safe Rides program should also cater to those who work late shifts or do research at night on campus Monday through Friday. As the events of last spring have proven, crime occurs every day of the week and does not limit its victims to those who are inebriated or dressed for celebration.
Covering broader geography is also a factor USAC should look into with this program.
Much of the campus community lives south of Wilshire Boulevard, and walking home at night is perhaps more unsafe for these individuals than others. In addition to the distance, which is too short to justify driving but long enough to take up to half an hour, Westwood Village is more dangerous at night than during the day.
The walk south of Wilshire Boulevard covers an area in which stores close early and residential areas are usually dark and deserted. The number of homeless individuals between Ackerman Turnaround and Wilshire Boulevard is far greater than the number around Hilgard or Strathmore avenues, and the intersection of Wilshire and Westwood boulevards is arguably much more dangerous than those at either end of campus.
In order to implement these necessary changes, USAC will have to make some good decisions about funding and continue its discourse with the Community Service Officer Program.
Currently, the program has $6,000 in its budget but can also charge a riding fee.
The Safe Rides program is dependent on CSO vans and drivers. Previously, the program had come under scrutiny because some riders had become quarrelsome with drivers. Despite such mishaps, USAC has continued its attempts to make Safe Rides a permanent program.
At a time when the university may be financially unable to fund such a program, it is encouraging to see our student government doing its job and giving priority to student safety.