<p>Hi- I'm writing to you guys as a mother currently attending orientation with my child (but obviously decided to opt out on the information sessions that don't explain much at all, and decided to post here upon the advice of another parent who told me about this forum). I have asked around during my stay here, and I would also like to get some of your guys' opinions of the safety of this campus. There seems to be a lot of suspect people around that makes me nervous (as well as other parents in my orientation group). My child will be dorming at Clark Kerr next year, and I trekked over there from where they are currently placing the parents at (Unit 3), and this place is very, very far from campus. I know there are shuttles to bring students back and forth, but I'm worried when he needs to travel after the shuttle services are no longer provided, especially with the type of people that hang around the campus environment. The dorm I'm currently placed in is old and dilapidated and reeks of a foul odor that I just can't seem to put my fingers on. I know that Cal is the oldest UC campus, but are all the dorms like this, especially Clark Kerr (where my son will be staying at next year as of now, but won't be if I have something to say about it)? I seriously do not want him to stay at that building, especially considering the distance, and poor quality that the dorms are kept in, and I wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions for any apartments that would still be signing leases at this point in the year. I do not understand why they cannot rennovate the dorms, especially with the ridiculous prices they are charging us parents (especially compared with the other UCs that I have visited that are not only leaps and bounds nicer, but also cheaper!). My biggest regret was not visiting this campus and taking my son's word at face value. I am asking for any and all advice and thank you so much for your time.</p>
<p>I lived in Clark Kerr and there is nothing to worry about as far as your kid's safety goes. ESPECIALLY, since he's a man. I spent 3-5 nights a week at the library until 2am and would walk bck not worried at all about anything.</p>
<p>I'm also an incoming Cal parent. I don't know much about Clark Kerr, but I would strongly suggest that your freshman (I assume he's a freshman?) will be much better off in the dorms. That is the way he'll make his first friends, he'll have access to lots of services, etc etc. Maybe I'm not as concerned because I come from a big city (L.A. - actually Venice) - but if you encourage your son to use his head I really think you shouldn't pull him from this important part of the freshman experience.</p>
<p>I also stayed in Unit 3 for CalSO and it wasn't great... (in fact we were the group that had a fire alarm at 5:30 or so in the morning)... but then we're not kids and Cal really is more about the people and the academic atmosphere, not the physical environment (and the campus is absolutely beautiful and inspiring!). Kids are much more adaptable than we are!</p>
<p>listen, the safety deal with berkeley is really just mother's angst. i can understand if you're from the suburbs and aren't used to seeing different kinds of people, but the homeless in berkeley are usually harmless. on top of that, in ANY urban setting, one has to come equipped with common sense, don't walk alone at night, don't wear tons of jewelery this is COMMON SENSE in any URBAN AREA, not simply berkeley. the dorms @ the UC's are a rip off, i agree, but do not discount them, because for social reasons, they help your first year experience tremendously.</p>
<p>don't worry, my mom was the same way, if your son is excited about berkeley, it'll be the time of his life like it was mine. Thing's are gonna be fine, and living in the big city's gonna make your boy tougher and smarter, not to mention hopefully empathetic for the plight of those outside of the suburban crush.</p>
<p>Thank you for all your replies, but the more I stay here, the more I want to high tail it out (unfortunately though, my son does not have that option). The one parent session that I made certain to go to was the one on safety, and the officer there could not answer the parents' questions of the occurrence of mugging and crimes there because he "did not have the numbers on him" (or something along those lines), which to me is ridiculous considering the fact that this was what the session is supposed to be focused on. It might just be because I visited the other UC campuses and saw what the other side of life was like in comparison (UCI, UCSD, UCLA, UCSC), but I am very very worried and although I agree that freshmen in college should be able to live out the dorm experience, if he cannot transfer to a closer dorm, I want to force him into the apartments (at this point, I wouldn't be forcing him since he is agreeing with the idea as the orientation session wears on). I am not alone, as I have talked with other parents and there are at least 2 others on board w/ our plans, so at least he will be having roommates. Thank you again for all your inputs.</p>
<p>I would highly discourage an incoming freshman who wants to get an apartment. It's in the dorms when you meet new people, form close friendships, study together, go to class together, eat together, watch movies together, and have fun together.
Believe me, safety is not an issue here. I ususally stayed in the library until midnight studying, and walked back to my dorms without having to worry about getting mugged or something.
Besides, they have a system where UCPD officers can walk the student back to his or her dorms in late hours, if this worries you that much.
It would be a great mistake to "force" your son to move into apartments, he will be missing out SO much.</p>
<p>the apartments are just as far as the dorms. look, safety is NOT A PROBLEM it's all about common sense. look, your son's in college, he's gonna be dirty, and not going to be living in crystal clean and up to date areas. at least try the dorms for first semester, so he can get a core group of friends. the dorms aren't that bad, and clark kerr is one of the nicest dorms on campus.
chill out and don't worry, the chances are very much against him ever getting mugged.</p>
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I lived in Clark Kerr and there is nothing to worry about as far as your kid's safety goes
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safety is not an issue here.
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look, safety is NOT A PROBLEM
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<p>Well, I wouldn't go QUITE so far as to say that there is 'nothing to worry about' or the safety is 'not a problem (in upper case)' or that 'safety is not an issue'. Look, the fact is, Berkeley does indeed have quite a bit of crime, as all cities do. I've been mugged on the stret at 1:30 in the morning. I've had my car broken into twice, once having it almost stolen (they completely broke the ignition lock, but couldn't get it to turn). One of my friend's girlfriends was sexually assaulted. </p>
<p>You can use this website to examine a map of recent crimes.</p>
<p>However, I agree with the sentiment expressed by others that, for social reasons, dorming probably is the best option in your freshman year.</p>
<p>lol nice going Sakky, she's going to be very secure now. I would go on to say that you are quite unlucky as the "average" student doesn't get mugged and assaulted.</p>
<p>Crime is not a extremely rampant problem, it is no more and no less than you would expect in a urban setting.</p>
<p>1) with regard to safety, there are 70 full time UCPD patrolling a 6-7 block radius around the campus (on top of the Berkeley Police Dept doing the same). </p>
<p>2) Information regarding thefts and robberies are listed in your "Safety" pamphlet in your CalSO folder. If you open the folder, and look for it, you'll see it there. It lists the numbers. Also, keep in mind the urban setting, the BART (which allows transient persons to access the city), and realize that Berkeley is relatively safe to other surrounding areas. </p>
<p>3) sign up for UCPD police alerts. They give you a good idea of what's going on. There are muggings that happen at 12am-3am in an unlit area of the city/campus with a lone male or female. Common sense: bear walk or the night safety shuttles.</p>
<p>4) Sakky mentioned sexual assault. Interesting point: most sexual assaults are committed by those the victim knows OR occur when victim and/or accused is inebriated. Now, again, I want to stress that the victim is not at fault. And I don't know the circumstances of Sakky's friend. But my understanding from the GenEq center as well as the UCPD is that sexual assaults do occur when the victim, at a party, had too much too drink and was unable to fend off the attack. Again, not the victim's fault. But students should party safe.</p>
<p>5) Unit 3 is one of the older res halls. Check out the newer res halls. Also, res halls are a great way to connect with the campus. </p>
<p>calmom2be: I understand your concerns. Part of it is Berkeley's fault for the upkeep of the res halls, part of it is the fact that residents don't take care of their rooms. And I understand the safety concerns--my parents were less than pleased. But now, my parents--after two years since I arrived on campus--have noticed the common sense, precautions that I take and realize that they did their job as parents. They worry of course, calling when they know I have to stay out late at night, but they also trust that I will do the right thing in keeping myself safe, and healthy.</p>
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lol nice going Sakky, she's going to be very secure now.
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<p>Hey, she asked for crime statistics, so I think she deserves to have them. Please don't tell me that you're scared of the facts. </p>
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I would go on to say that you are quite unlucky as the "average" student doesn't get mugged and assaulted.
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<p>Well, I don't know if that claim means much. After all, you could say that about plenty of other things. The average American won't get cancer, but that hardly means that cancer is not a problem in the country.</p>
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it is no more and no less than you would expect in a urban setting.
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<p>Now, THIS statement I can agree with. Berkeley is a city, and you have to have some common sense street-smartness to avoid trouble in any city. But that hardly menas that safety is "not an issue" or that there is "nothing to worry about". It's a city. Safety is an issue in any city in the country.</p>
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Please don't tell me that you're scared of the facts.
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Where did I say that? No need to get uppity.</p>
<p>I said:
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Crime is not a extremely rampant problem, it is no more and no less than you would expect in a urban setting.
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<p>Your experience is unique as I haven't been mugged, I don't know anyone who has been sexually assaulted or had someone try and break into my car (2x times). You have obviously been exposed to more crime than one would expect. Maybe this is why I said "average". Nice try though.</p>
<p>Also can you tell us what years you attended CAL (So we can get some perspective into your comments). I asked this earlier but you decided not to reply to it. I am not about to dig through all of your berkeley posts.</p>
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Where did I say that? No need to get uppity.
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<p>I don't think anybody is getting uppity. The OP asked for facts, and I am simply providing facts. It's not our job to make her feel secure like you said, i.e. "she's going to be very secure now". Give her the facts and let her decide for herself whether she should feel secure or not. That's why I gave her the Berkeley crime statistics map, and I told her my personal stories about crime. What she does with that information is up to her.</p>
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Your experience is unique as I haven't been mugged, I don't know anyone who has been sexually assaulted or had someone try and break into my car (2x times). You have obviously been exposed to more crime than one would expect. Maybe this is why I said "average". Nice try though.
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<p>I never said that my experience was 'average'. I said it before, I'll say it again. Lots of life experiences aren't 'average'. If you get cancer, you're not average, as most people won't get cancer. If you die in a car accident, you're not average, as most people won't die in car accidents. But that's not to say that car accidents and cancer aren't problems that we don't have to pay heed to. </p>
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Also can you tell us what years you attended CAL (So we can get some perspective into your comments). I asked this earlier but you decided not to reply to it. I am not about to dig through all of your berkeley posts.
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<p>I'm afraid I don't talk about my biography publicly.</p>
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You apparently didn't want her to know those things. In other words, you seem to want to hide the truth from her.
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<p>You can make inform someone without scaring them sakky. It is important to make everybody feel secure as long as they know the facts. Security is always preferred over insecurity. I never said that you should lie. </p>
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Please don't tell me that you're scared of the facts.
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You are getting uppity, in the sense that you inferred such a statement from my post.</p>
<p>I said:
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lol nice going Sakky, she's going to be very secure now.
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It is neither said or implied that it would be better to lie. The way you presented your story it made it seem if that it was normal to experience such crime.</p>
<p>It is also good that you provided data, I don't know where to find such data on berkeley. You always seem to have such information about berkeley readily available.</p>
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<p>Please stop bullying me whenever I disagree with you, I never said that you should "hide the truth" nor am I "scared of the facts". You've done this before, please stop. This will be the last time I ask.</p>
<p>Thank you again everyone for all your inputs and blunt honesty, which I really appreciate (not so much for the petty background fighting though). Thank you for the link sakky (it was one of those referenced at the talk, but I needed a reminder to bookmark it and probably make my homepage for a bit) and it is horrendous what you endured. I think I will take a step back away from the pressuring and after my son has had a bit to absorb it all in, I will then ask him for a definitive decision of whether he wants to stay in the dorm or apartments (the reason for the apartments was because although they may be as far, he would be able to have parking and at least travel within the safety of his car although this may pose problems itself to keep the car safe). I think for the most part the majority of people have made it out fine, and so I'll continue to stress the safety precautions to him, as he can be a little hard headed at times or just forgetful, and his late night jogs will probably be out the window and be replaced with treadmill runnings within gyms and whatnot. Thank you again everyone!</p>
<p>I don't know if my two cents really matter since the topic seems to have been (somewhat) resolved, but here is an interesting link regarding the "cleaning up" of Berkeley:</p>
<p>Frankly, I have never had trouble with safety. The diverse community actually helped me learn to understand and deal with a lot of situations I was sheltered from in an affluent, white, suburban community. Your son is probably very smart if he got into Cal, and common sense will guide him away from troublesome situations. Plus, my friends and I have developed the amazing "20 minute rule" that stems from this quite strange town. Every 20 minutes that you are outside in Berkeley, you are bound to experience or see something that you have never encountered before. Pretty entertaining. </p>
<p>I was in the CKC myself, and it is definitely the dorm situation to envy if you have no problem dragging yourself out of bed to walk the 20 minutes to class. </p>
<p>Don't worry, your son will be ok and most likely he's going to flourish from the situation.</p>
<p>Sorry about the bickering, you are right.</p>
<p>Use common sense.
-Don't go out really late if you can help it.
-Walk with a friend if you must.
-Take basic safety precautions.
-Don't carry/show off anything extremely valuable.</p>
<p>I understand your apprehension and worry for your child. My mother was the same way, you must let go and tell him everything that he needs to know. He will handle himself and learn lessons about life through his experiences. You can only 'shelter' a child for so long; I think that you understand and I wish your son and you the best of luck.</p>
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You can make inform someone without scaring them sakky. It is important to make everybody feel secure as long as they know the facts. Security is always preferred over insecurity. I never said that you should lie.
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<p>Uh, if the facts are scary, then that calls for the enactment of policies to change the facts. Believe me, I didn't want to get mugged. I didn't want to have my car broken into and the amp ripped out of it. And I'm quite certain that that girl didn't want to be sexually assaulted. I have often times wondered why the BPD seems far more concerned about handing out traffic tickets than in finding and preventing the serious crimes in the city. </p>
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It is neither said or implied that it would be better to lie. The way you presented your story it made it seem if that it was normal to experience such crime.
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Please stop bullying me whenever I disagree with you, I never said that you should "hide the truth" nor am I "scared of the facts". You've done this before, please stop. This will be the last time I ask.
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<p>I doubt that I am bullying you. But you feel that way, then I apologize to you. On the other hand, look, I don't appreciate being told how to write my posts - i.e. "inform someone without scaring them". Uh, I believe I have the right to write my posts however way I wish, as long as they are within the terms of service.</p>
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I have often times wondered why the BPD seems far more concerned about handing out traffic tickets than in finding and preventing the serious crimes in the city.
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<p>Exactly, it's absolutely ridiculous and too common across college campuses across the nation -- police seem to be more worried about people parking without a decal rather than more actively monitoring the streets for real criminals. Instead, they issue students a "don't do <insert what="" ducky="" dodger="" said=""> at night" list. I find this to be lazy at best and offensive at worse.</insert></p>
<p>^^^dood you hit the nail on the head, instead of making sure some crazy f.úç/ker doesn't shoot up campus, the UCPD goes around making sure <strong><em>gasp</em></strong>...god forbid...-College students don't drink! OR WORSE YET, arresting people on campus for SMOKING POT...at BERKELEY. it really ****es me off that they put so much energy into busting up noise complaints and harrasing stoners when they could make sure thugs from berkeley high and oakland don't come up to berkeley and screw around.</p>
<p>case in point: my buddy's pledge class was painting the big c. a platoon of UCPD chasing some crack head who shot someone and run into the woods stumbled upon these frat boys....instead of going off to chase this guy, the captain kept officers back to write tickets to these frat boys because painting the Big "C" is vandalism and trespassing. WTH?</p>