By Shane Nelson
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]
 EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Community Service Officers are issuing "gotcha" slips such as
the one pictured, in effort to get students to stop leaving
personal items unattended.
With 68,000 people on campus each day, UCLA is often considered
a self-contained city ““ complete with a city’s share of
crime.
With so many people not everyone is friendly, but by using
common sense precautions, many crimes can be avoided.
The most common crimes of 2001 were property crimes ““
petty theft, burglary and motor vehicle theft ““ with 1,594
reported incidents, according to the UCPD “˜s Annual
Report.
Petty theft was the most reported property crime and also the
most preventable, said UCPD spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein.
Also known as “crimes of opportunity,” the easiest
way to prevent theft of cell phones, laptops, backpacks and other
small electronic equipment is to keep an eye on them.
Theft from cars is a common occurrence, with parking permits
stolen all the time. Not only should cars be locked, but students
should place other desirable items out of view, police advise.
Burglary decreased this year because many community members
called the police while crimes were in progress, which, in many
cases, prevented future burglaries, according to the Annual
Report.
“No crime is too small to report,” Greenstein
said.
Motor vehicle theft at the university is relatively low, she
said. UCLA parks 21,000 cars per day ““ more than Los Angeles
International Airport ““ but only 79 cars were stolen last
year.
Charles Lee, a fifth-year psychology and sociology student, was
one of 58 people to have his car stolen in 1999.
He parked his 1985 El Camino in Lot 11 by the residence halls
one Sunday night mid-spring quarter the same way he did each week
before. Expecting to find his car when he returned on Friday to
drive home, he found in its place a pile of glass.
“I was pretty shocked,” he said. “I
didn’t really expect my car to be stolen from UCLA. It seemed
like an unlikely place, but I guess it happens anywhere.”
Though relatively low, compared to the rest of Los Angeles,
violent crime ““ rape, robbery, physical assault and murder
““ at UCLA is also something students should be aware of on
campus.
The most reported violent crime of 2001 was robbery. There was a
significant increase ““ from 5 to 24 ““ in the number of
cases reported in 2001. However, most were committed in the
surrounding business and residential community of Westwood.
“Campus is pretty safe with respect to crimes against
persons,” Greenstein said.
However, she said people should still remain in groups after
dark.
“Be aware of your surroundings. It is OK to feel
uncomfortable, but do something about it,” she said, adding
that students can go to more populated areas like the library or
Ackerman Union.
For those still on campus after hours, UCLA also has two free
services people can use. Community Service Officers, trained to be
the eyes and ears of the UCPD, are available all year from dusk to
1 a.m. to walk students, faculty and visitors between campus
buildings, to local living areas or to their cars.
Additionally, a van service regularly drives students to nearby
areas Monday through Thursday.
Blue and yellow emergency phones are also located all over
campus. They connect directly to the police, and an officer is
immediately dispatched.
But not all violent crimes statistics tell the whole story.
Although victims reported five total and attempted rapes last year,
Greenstein said it is a category that goes highly
under-reported.
It is likely there are 10 acts of sexual violence for every one
reported, said Tina Oakland, director of the Center for Women &
Men, which specializes in gender-related issues.
One form of sexual assaults is date rape. A good way to prevent
date rape is to be clear about your sexual boundaries, Oakland
said, adding that students should not assume someone else’s
sexual intentions.
Because of the use of date rape drugs like Rohypnol and GHB,
students should always monitor their drinks.
Side effects of date rape drugs resemble the effects of large
amounts of alcohol and can be lethal, according to the Santa Monica
Rape Treatment Center. It advises to seek immediate emergency
medical attention for someone suspected to be drugged.
Students also need to be wary of their alcohol consumption
because a high proportion of sexual assaults ““ about 90
percent ““ is correlated with alcohol use, Oakland said.
Despite the reality of crime at UCLA, some students still feel
safe on campus.
Ehsan Zaffar, a fourth-year psychology student who regularly is
out at 3 or 4 in the morning, said, “I’ve never
experienced any crime, I don’t know anyone who has, and
I’ve been here a year.”
To keep up with recent crime trends in the area, visit
www.ucpd.ucla.edu.