Is USC Safe?

With the recent events that have transpired and the media attention focused on the negative aspects of USC's reputation, it leaves prospective students wondering, "Is USC Safe?" This is a good question because, after all, it is located in South Central LA which is known for high crime rates and gang activity. However, the university has done a lot to make the campus and its surrounding area safer in recent years, and studies show that it's working. The University of Southern California, though not as safe as a small town school, is definitely not dangerous, and both current and prospective students have no reason to worry about their personal safety as long as they are aware of their surroundings and take precautions to not put themselves in risky situations.

In case you are unaware of what recent occurrence I am referring to that has everyone on their toes, here is a link to an article published by the Los Angeles Times. Two graduate students from China were shot and killed about a mile from campus while sitting in their BMW late at night. It is very tragic to hear whether you knew the students personally or not. USC has been called an international school because it has one of the largest percentages of international students of any university, and, because the victims were international Chinese students, this has many international students understandably frightened.

However, I don't think anyone at USC needs to be frightened because the university does a lot to ensure its students' safety. DPS employs nearly 300 officers who patrol the campus and its surrounding area all throughout the day and night. These officers have a high rate of resolving incidents as is often seen by the DPS crime alerts sent to each student whenever a crime is committed involving a student. Also, DPS coordinates with LAPD, and the LAPD officers diligently patrol the USC area as well. The university also employs campus security officers who are easily noticed by their bright yellow jackets and constantly chirping radios. These campus security officers are posted on nearly every corner where there is a concentration of student residences. USC has also stepped up security by installing more security cameras and license plate cameras all over the surrounding area. This increased presence by security officers and the LAPD alongside the new cameras and the ever-increasing gentrification of USC's surrounding areas has successfully decreased crime and will continue to do so.

There is still crime in the area, but you cannot expect there to be absolutely no crime at any college regardless of location. There will be crime wherever you go, that's why each town, even the smallest towns, have police forces. Not to mention USC is located in the country's second largest city and in an urban area. Its location is great for career, cultural, and volunteer opportunities for its students, but the necessary consequence is that the students have to understand they are living in an urban environment. I think USC states it best on their undergraduate admissions website's FAQs:

"While our public safety department plays a major leadership role in ensuring that our campuses and surrounding neighborhoods remain as safe as possible, the primary responsibility for crime prevention and personal safety rests with each individual."

Each student has to be able to watch out for themselves like mature individuals, and they need to be street smart and constantly aware of their surroundings. Walking home alone at night in a skimpy skirt while talking and laughing loudly on your expensive iPhone is obviously not a good idea, and, yet, I see this happen every single weekend. This proves to me that the university's security and public safety officers are serving their purpose because there are students who do not abide by the university's suggested tips to keep themselves safe and they are able to do so without trouble in most cases. To these students, I guess ignorance is bliss.

How does UCLA compare to USC in terms of safety? Well, they aren't as different as they are often made out to be. UCLA is located in Westwood, a much wealthier sub-section of Los Angeles, so its crime rate is understandably lower. However, not by the margin you would think in comparison to a university located in South Central LA. In 2008, UCLA had 121 reported violent crimes. In that same year, USC had 195 reported violent crimes. Both of these statistics are lower than in past years and in comparison to other areas in Los Angles. Now, that was in 2008; since then, USC has increased security even more and the rates have dropped even lower.

The incident involving the two Chinese international students was a horribly tragic event, but it was the first serious one I've heard of since I've attended USC (and I've been here for 3 years). I don't think prospective students looking at USC or current students at the university have anything to worry about as long as they are aware of their surroundings. The university has a strong security force and works closely with LAPD to ensure the presence of officers in the area and create a safe climate for its academic institution. The Trojan Family is as safe as ever and will only continue to become safer and safer. Hopefully, the media will focus on the positive aspects in terms of the safety of the USC campus and its surrounding area in the future. Sadly, that doesn't make a good news story, so those who are actually invested in the topic have to reinforce the reality of the situation so those who are ignorant of the truth about USC do not succeed in spreading the reputation that it is unsafe.