<p>I've heard that USC is in a "bad neighborhood". I know that they have campus cruiser and lots of patrols on campus. My question is - how safe do you feel on campus and around campus? Have you or a friend ever been a victim of crime?</p>
<p>My son has been accepted into USC's RHP program for this year. Whenever I tell someone where he's going, they freak out that I am sending him to such "a dangerous place". Is it as bad as people think? I figure it can't be that bad if 30,000 students go there.</p>
<p>Thank you in advance for all your candid opinions!</p>
<p>Call USC Campus Police for an honest answer or LAPD for crime stats on campus. It is not outrageously high. USC does happen to be located in the heart of one of the worst neighborhoods in the heart of Los Angeles. The campus is beautiful, immediately off campus is downright scary and ugly!</p>
<p>"Whenever I tell someone where he's going, they freak out that I am sending him to such "a dangerous place". Is it as bad as people think? I figure it can't be that bad if 30,000 students go there."</p>
<p>Well that's funny. I think USC has a far worse reputation for crime and safety than it should. When I visited a few months back, I spent the night with a friend, and hoestly, I felt very safe. Of course I haven't been living there all year, but I must say I was very impressed.</p>
<p>Also, USC has big blue pools positioned throughout the capus, and if you feel threatened, you just have to press the emergency button on the "pole type thing", and security will meet you. According to the an admissions rep. the average response time is 30 seconds. That is very fast.</p>
<p>My mom was also worried about USC safety when I initially applied. SHe lost those feelings immediately upon visiting campus. I never felt threatened or insecure, and USC has a very well established safaty/emergency protocol.</p>
<p>In short, I really don't think is as bad as people think. USC tends to get a bad reputation from that other school ( I won't even say the name), and you can only get a really good feeling of the campus when you visit.</p>
<p>It is beautiful, and I would definately recommend visiting if you still feel insecure. I think you'll soon have a change of heart.</p>
<p>The surrounding area is home to solid hard working minorities along with USC students who rent. It may look more scary than it is to someone from a non diversified suburban area. It may look ugly to some, but only because many working class people who rent or own homes just don't have the extra money to beautify their property the way USC does and we in suburbia do.</p>
<p>Only an anecdote, but my nephew lived close to USC (not on campus) to be near his girlfriend who lived in the dorms. In his first week there, his car was broken into and the sound system stolen; in the second week, the whole car was stolen. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, my son has applied at USC.....but I don't like to think that USC students are "captive" on campus in the interest of safety(?)</p>
<p>USC has the department of public safety which is one of the best campus police organizations in the nation. They are something like 4th in the nation for safety and performance. Don't be afraid of the crime there. If anything, an education at USC means acquiring an academic learning and a street learning. It is really not bad. Just don't get drunk and then decide to go to your atm at 3 in the morning--alone.</p>
<p>USC Dept of Public Safety is 4th in the nation? That's nice to hear. USC does happen to be located in one of the worst areas of Los Angeles. The University owns quite a bit of the housing surrounding the campus and uses it for student housing. Campus police will escort students to off campus housing dusk to dawn if requested (like all Universities) and it is encouraged. I visit the campus many times a year and it is not uncommon to see flyers posted about the most recent incident of an assault or similar happening on campus. My high school senior was staying with my niece over winter break in her USC off campus housing on 30th street and had his car broken into from in front of her house. She parks her car in a parking garage on campus. Does she or any of our other kids that have attended USC feel unsafe? No, just cautious. Will I sway my son from attending USC towards a school on the west side of town or any school he's accepted to that's in a safer neighborhood? No.</p>
<p>I visited a friend yesterday at UCLA. It also is a beautiful campus, but it has problems, even though it is in a very nice neighborhood. In all of their dorms they have wanted signs for the rapist who has been around campus. I'm not saying this to offend UCLA, just to show that all schools have to post crime reports. It is required by law. Yes, we get them, but not that often. </p>
<p>Also, contrary to popular belief, USC is not in the worst part of LA. Personally I consider Watts and Compton to be far more dangerous. Both of these are not near campus. The surrounding community likes the USC students, and is (in general) glad that we are there. </p>
<p>My mom (who lurks here constantly), wanted to add that she (who has lived in LA for many years), wouldn't let me go here if she thought that it wasn't safe.</p>
<p>The USC campus is very safe, the DPS keeps things very secure. It's a misconception that it isn't as safe as any other university.</p>
<p>And the area around campus is definitely NOT the worst neighborhood in los angeles. I have family living in the neighborhood west of USC and it is a good area.</p>
<p>Here are some quotes from the USC site:</p>
<p>"USC's crime rate is lower than that of most other large research universities located in or near major cities.--Latest available figures show USC's overall crime rate to be lower than that of Stanford or UCLA, and less than half the crime rate of the nation as a whole."</p>
<p>"USC is ranked among the safest of all U.S. universities and colleges, with one of the most comprehensive campus and community safety programs in the nation."</p>
<p>"Los Angeles is the second largest city in the U.S., but barely ranks in the top 50, in terms of overall crime rate."</p>
<p>I happen to love USC, but as a parent am objective that the immediate surrounding neighborhood is "one of the worst" neighborhoods in LA as I previously stated and the crime statistics should be checked with LAPD and DPS to satisfy the parent inquiry.</p>
<p>Yes, please check out the above website because it completely supports the assertion that USC is just as safe(or in fact, safer) than anywhere else. Look for example at the number of on-campus burglaries for different campuses in 2004:</p>
<p>i live like 5 mins from usc... so u calling the area i live in unsafe? no. its not bad at all. anyway, you dont walk alone at night anywhere in LA.</p>
<p>another stereotype is that usc is in south central. its not really. its west of south central. and if you go west of usc, its a very wealthy area.</p>
<p>Socalpatty, I don't know how many more times you can emphasize USC is in one of the worst neighborhood of LA, while it is not:) I don't agree with namaste that west of USC is a weathly area though.</p>
<p>I feel that patty know a lot about USC, but not very accurate. Mostly it is like online stats or some hearsay which is not helpful for any purpose. Is it your daugther or neice attending USC by the way?</p>
<p>I currently have a niece at USC, and one son considering USC for the class of 2010 (depends on what happens between now and 4/1,) and I have another niece that was considering USC until she got her acceptance elsewhere recently. In addition to that I am an active alum, therefore on campus quite often each year for various reasons.</p>
<p>Ok. So USC is in a not-so-good area. Its located South of L.A. But its not as bad at all as it seems.</p>
<p>First of all, there is no question of security on campus! None at all. Despite this, students are advised to walk in groups. The only ways to enter USC is through the gate entrances (Its got high fences otherwise) and these are constantly monitored. Forget nighttime, they check who comes in broad daylight as well. I walk across campus (from parkside to leavey or the other way around) at times like 3 or 4 in the morning alone 4 to 5 times a week and trust me I have never felt unsure about me safety at all. After 8 or 9 there are DPS units driving around EVERYWHERE. So on campus security is not an issue at all.</p>
<p>Immediate surrounding areas of campus (near University Village and Vermont) and basically student occupied. You are not gonna get hurt unless you attract attention towards yourself. The only time that I have even come across any type of insecurity is when me and friends were a mile off campus walking at 3 am nearly Carls Junior on a sat night which was clearly our fault. Nothing happened, some guys in a car just kept flashing us and we just kept walking and that was it. But nonetheless, you are not going to be hurt unless you are attracting attention. If you walk in groups of 3 or 4, you are going to be fine. If you think about it people walk to and from parties in the early hours who are drunk from thursday through sunday and crime is rare. The campus security is tight enough to make the students aware of the problem spots and suspects.</p>
<p>i'm a few miles west of usc and in a wealthy area. perhaps you are thinking of immediately west, which is somewhat rundown but still nothing like the stereotypes indicate.</p>
<p>Now it's getting confusing for me. Maybe you are not the one I replied to on UCLA board, but you said your daughter is a senior at USC, not it becomes neice. I read all over your son wants to go UCs, now USC is in the mix. </p>
<p>I agree with you USC is not in a superb neighborhood. But it is not the worst in LA, rather a little below the average. Applying a little caution, you will be fine.</p>
<p>Look, here's the deal. USC is not in a great neighborhood. But, it also isnt in the ghetto. It can be dangerous if you walk by yourself, down a dark alley, wearing headphones at 3 in the morning - but that would be STUPID. We have campus cruiser, DPS for late night rides, etc... As long as kids are smart, aware of their surroundings, etc they will not have problems... If you are worried because your kid lacks street smarts - than try to teach them some basics before sending them out here. But seriously, it isnt that bad... I walk home alone after midnight almost every night. I have never been attacked, mugged or even scared of being attacked...</p>