<p>Yeah, I definitely second the programming-the-DPS-number-into-your-phone thing. I actually have it listed under "favorites", because if you're really in an emergency (like being chased/followed/cornered, etc.), you need to be able to contact DPS ASAP with as little movement/adjusting as possible (like if you're running). In these cases, time is of the essense; each second could count.</p>
<p>Just to be clear, it's not like students getting chased down by criminals is a common occurrence :)</p>
<p>Don't take my word for it. Read the Daily Trojan:</p>
<p>And here's some more-
<a href="http://www.ucpd.ucla.edu/ucpd/bulletin_crime.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.ucpd.ucla.edu/ucpd/bulletin_crime.html</a></p>
<p>Oh wait- that's for UCLA. ;) Guess it happens everywhere. It's a good idea to just stay smart wherever you go to school.</p>
<p>Haha, this thread is probably scaring a lot of applicants...</p>
<p>Seriously, USC's DPS does a really good job of securing the campus. I feel safe whenever I walk, even at night. Just keep your wits about you at all times, and be smart.</p>
<p>i agree. i'm a freshman girl, relatively little... couldn't intimidate a five-year-old... and i feel perfectly safe on campus. i've walked alone at night on campus, as late as about 5 or 6 am, and not felt scared. it's very well lit and dps is very prominent. </p>
<p>as for off campus, i've gone to the row (in a group of people) and university village (with one other girl) and not felt nervous about it at all. as for errands that i had to run, like going to the post office, grocery store, etc, i just made sure to go when it was light out & it was fine.</p>
<p>c411 is correct in that there is a significant amount of crime at pretty much all colleges - typically of the stolen bike or stolen computer-type crime or maybe an apartment broken into. What sets USC apart is that the air around the edges of campus sometimes has an alarmingly high lead content.</p>