LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Statistics paint real picture of crime

Alva Moore Stevenson says that it is important to avoid making
generalizations about the various neighborhoods that comprise our
fine city (“Bruins’ perception of L.A.
inaccurate,” Jan. 20).

She takes people to task for referring to the area around USC
and the Crenshaw District as “crime-ridden.”

She is bothered by a third-year student’s observation that
while there is crime in Westwood, “it’s not like
we’re in Compton.”

Stevenson criticizes these perceptions, but provides us with no
indication that they are inaccurate.

The fact is, there is significantly more violent crime in the
city’s Southwest Division (which includes both the area
around USC and the Crenshaw District) than there is in the West Los
Angeles Division.

For example, in the first two weeks of 2006 there were 111
violent crimes in the Southwest Division, compared to only 23
violent crimes in the West Los Angeles Division.

This difference becomes even more pronounced when one considers
that there are significantly more people living in the West Los
Angeles Division than the Southwest Division. These statistics are
just an example.

Crime statistics are certainly among the most easily manipulated
of all statistics.

But if Stevenson is going to criticize people for referring to
certain areas of the city as being high in crime compared to
Westwood, shouldn’t she give us some reason why such areas
are, in fact, just as safe as Westwood? Shouldn’t she tell us
why the statistics are not reliable?

If she thinks that the crime problem in Westwood is the same as
it is in Compton, she should let us know why she thinks that.

Because other indications certainly suggest this not to be the
case.

Finally, Stevenson asks whether the students making these
perceptions have ever ventured into the neighborhoods upon which
they opine.

While I would certainly encourage people to visit all the parts
of Los Angeles, it is unclear that one needs to actually visit a
place or talk to its residents to accurately conclude that it has a
crime problem.

Kyle Schlueter

Westwood resident

Assaults cause for all to be cautious

“Assaults have lasting effects” (News, Jan. 20)
noted that, “This month, UCLA students are facing more (cases
of sexual assault) than in previous years.”

While we are recently hearing about a higher number of assaults
perpetrated by strangers, sexual violence isn’t something
that stops just because it isn’t reported on the front page
of the newspaper.

To assume so is dangerous and discredits the strength of the
many survivors on this campus. Also, recent articles on the same
subject have included safety tips from the university police that
suggested not walking alone at night.

Three of the first five reported incidents occurred between the
hours of 9 a.m. and noon. I would just like to add that it is
everyone’s responsibility to be vigilant against sexual
assault, not just those in fear of an attack.

Alexis Flyer

Fourth year, political science

student and Clothesline Project

co-executive chair