Private security is often a feature of high-profile events, with uniformed people who stiffly stand at the entrance checking bags and patting down patrons.

The service is not often used for residential spaces.

The 10 Panhellenic sorority houses that line Hilgard Avenue present themselves with polished exteriors. These houses foster community and philanthropy within their walls.

One of the main detractors from this tranquility comes in the form of verbal harassment, yelling, and inappropriate comments from men lingering on the sidewalk. Their targets are always the same: women who walk by or live in the houses.

A recent Daily Bruin article announced the UCLA Panhellenic Council’s decision to hire private security in response to recurring harassment. Many threats were reported to UCPD in the past year.

The decision to hire security guards has neutral effects: it does not harm anyone, but it does not resolve the problem entirely. While private security guards have encouraged safety on sorority row, it is crucial UCLA assists its sororities in acquiring a broader spectrum of protection to ensure the safety of their students.

Many sorority members do not feel reassured by UCPD’s response.

[Related: Private security hired by sororities after reports of harassment on Hilgard]

Ava Kornegay, a first-year political science and public affairs student in a sorority, said that unfortunately, it is normalized to feel unsafe on Hilgard.

“So many other girls in other sororities as well that I talked to have felt very similar experiences, in which they just say, ‘Oh, we shouldn’t go because this person is out again,’” Kornegay said.

UCPD confirmed they were aware of these incidents and increased evening patrols around Hilgard. Women across sorority row urged each other to keep the officer’s number on standby and contact 911 in emergencies.

Yet preemptive measures alone have not been enough to stop perpetrators on Hilgard.

I am fortunate enough to have been the target of only one such incident. After leaving a weekly sorority meeting, I was catcalled and followed by a man at the bus stop.

My muscles tensed, and I kept silently hoping he would back off. I thought about the potential of my metal bottle filled with ice as a defensive weapon.

Calling the police department and filing a report was the last thing on my mind at the time. When the unimaginable happens, our minds go blank.

Lily Slepoy, a second-year English student and sorority member, said a man verbally accosted her outside her sorority house as she waited for a rideshare.

But with private security, I feel considerably safer leaving my sorority house late.

However, this does not provide a complete sense of tranquility. With only a small number of security guards, I am left to wonder how they would be able to come to our aid on time or what standards private guards are held to compared to law enforcement.

“I don’t necessarily feel safer from security because I myself have taken my own preventative measures outside of what Panhellenic has provided us to make myself feel more safe, whether that’s taking my own transportation instead of walking or going with friends,” said Kira Williams, a fourth-year English student in a sorority.

UCLA hired CSC security just a couple of years ago, and Panhellenic should receive similar treatment. The university should have ensured the safety issue did not worsen before taking action, especially given that Panhellenic is part of the university.

“I feel like if UCPD is not able, does not have the staffing or the funding or the resources to monitor the street at night, then I think that UCLA should be at least contributing to the payment for private security,” Slepoy said.

Being a public campus in a country with free speech as a universal right is a double-edged sword. Women in sororities are being verbally harassed, often with threats that can very easily become reality.

Yet it seems keeping property public, namely on the sidewalks around campus, triumphs over the safety and comfort of students.

“UCPD conducts regular and directed patrols in the area, including increased evening presence, and continues to work with campus partners, student leaders, and chapter stakeholders to address concerns and connect students with support,” said Jeffrey Chobanian, the captain of UCPD’s operations bureau.

However, patrols during these specific times can only help women if UCPD is present.

Amping up protection on Hilgard would serve as a message to repeat and potential offenders that the power is on the students’ side.

“I think it’s unfortunate that people know there’s a high amount of women living on this row and that we’re vulnerable to this and that they can harass us,” said Williams.

With the presence of security, Hilgard feels more like the safe haven it should be. But it should not take a private organization to make students of a public institution feel safer.