[A closer look] Security tightened in dorms for safety
By Harold Lee
Nov. 16, 2004 9:00 p.m.
Two years after the Jane Doe incident, in which a young woman
was allegedly raped in De Neve Plaza, security in the residential
halls has been increased, but officials still advise taking general
safety precautions to prevent sexual assault.
The December 2002 incident prompted an immediate increase in the
number of UCPD and Community Service Officer patrols to be
conducted throughout the day in the residential halls, said Jack
Gibbons, associate director for the Office of Residential Life.
“We responded well before the case went to court,”
Gibbons said.
Other changes have been made to improve residential hall
security, but Gibbons said the majority of these changes were part
of an ongoing effort to increase security in the dorms and were not
prompted by the Jane Doe incident.
“We are constantly improving our security systems and
sometimes steps will be taken that will coincide with an
incident,” Gibbons said.
More security cameras have been added, especially in dormitory
entryways, and since the incident, all residence hall door locks
have been replaced with electronic locks that are more resistant to
tampering. Residential hall staff have also been more active in
notifying students to keep their doors closed, Gibbons said.
The key card system was modified to reduce the flexibility
students have to request duplicate or temporary keys in case keys
are lost or misplaced. Students can request temporary or duplicate
room keys a maximum of three times before they are charged five
dollars.
“I think the front desk check-in does a good job,”
said first-year English and political science student Audrey Kuo,
speaking of student monitors hired to control who goes into the
dorms after 9 p.m.
University police have not taken additional security precautions
for students living off campus, but Nancy Greenstein, UCPD’s
director of police community services, said rape and sexual assault
is not a rampant problem at UCLA and the university is generally
safe.
According to statistics on the UCPD Web site, seven of the 899
reported crimes that occurred on or around campus in 2003 were
forcible rape cases.
The majority of sexual assault incidents last year occurred
between people who had already met, Greenstein said.
“It’s rare that an unknown person is involved, but
people still need to take precautions and need to notice their
surroundings to prevent crime,” Greenstein said.
UCPD works with several campus partners, including the Center
for Women & Men, to provide workshops and presentations that
educate people of ways to prevent them from becoming victims.
Greenstein advised that extra precaution should be taken at
parties where alcohol is served because many sexual assault cases
involved alcohol.
“The message is if you are drinking, to drink carefully
and make sure you’re in charge of all your faculties,”
Greenstein said.
UCPD offers several services such as CSO escorts and the evening
van for those who must travel at night.
“It would be a good idea for students to call for an
escort when they walk home from a party,” Greenstein
said.
Some students take measures to make sure they are safe when they
have to walk alone at night.
“I try to avoid walking alone at night, but if I do, I try
to be aware of my surroundings and tell someone where I’m
going before I leave,” Kuo said.
Others feel that safety is not a big priority and that the
majority of students go out without ensuring their safety.
“I concentrate on where I’m going,” said
first-year business economics student Shilpa Hareesh, adding that
she feels safety is not a general priority for students at
UCLA.
