UCPD advises students to be cautious on Halloween night
By Christina Brown
Oct. 30, 2008 9:59 p.m.
University police hosted Robbery Prevention Week this week to educate the Bruins on how to prevent robberies.
UCPD officials said students should take extra precautions if they are celebrating Halloween and attending parties in the North Village tonight.
As part of the prevention week, UCPD tried to inform students about how to avoid robbery through tips on its Web site, and police officers passed out surveys to students to gauge student knowledge of safety tips.
October is National Crime Prevention Month, and UCPD dedicated this week of the month to focus on an issue that has recently been a big problem in the Westwood area.
Nancy Greenstein, a UCPD spokeswoman, said that students need to be careful at all times.
“We just had a robbery Tuesday, and here it is Robbery Prevention Week, so it reminds us that we always have to be diligent,” she said.
She recommended that students pay very close attention to their surroundings, especially if they are on the phone or listening to an iPod, which can put them at risk because they cannot hear if someone comes up behind them.
Greenstein added that there has been a trend of robberies of electronic devices as more and more students have iPods and cell phones.
Greenstein also encouraged students to program the UCPD dispatch phone number into their phones because the response will be quicker than calling 911.
She said that if students see anything suspicious, they should call the number so officers can monitor the situation.
Robbery Prevention Week coincides with Halloween, and Greenstein said students should be extra careful during party nights this weekend.
“Robbers are looking for folks that are under the influence,” Greenstein said. “Friends need to watch out for friends.”
Students hosting parties should be wary of guests that they are uncomfortable with, and Greenstein said Bruins can call dispatch to handle the situation.
There have been 23 robberies in the UCLA area since January, most of which have been in the North Village.
Another robbery took place in the early morning of Oct. 28.
UCPD has been working to catch the suspects of the robberies.
Four suspects responsible for 13 of the 23 robberies have been arrested, Greenstein said.
But Greenstein said that even though those robbers were caught, students still must be cautious.
“Even though we caught the people, we still thought we should talk about this issue,” Greenstein said, referencing Robbery Prevention Week.
“We have a vulnerable population, and we want to make sure they do everything they can to ensure their safety.”
