<p>Everyone keeps telling me that berkeley is unsafe, dirty and that I shouldnt go there.</p>
<p>However, i would like to know more about what students think in regards to campus safety... does anyone have any horror stories they would like to share? or is the campus relatively safe?</p>
<p>is it true that berkeley is not somewhere that you would like to walk around at night...?</p>
<p>godamn, i swear some people just amazing me. look, it's not safer/more dangerous than ANY other university in an urban environment, LA, D.C., New York w/e.</p>
<p>IT'S COMMON SENSE PEOPLE. Don't go walking in darkly lit streets at night, if you see people who don't look like college students or someone shady, avoid them, don't walk alone @ 2am on a random night or on an uncrowded street.</p>
<p>if that bothers you go to stanfurd or some prissy school in the 'burbs or something. Welcome to the real world, that's how it is for most people. You're gonna have to learn street smarts eventually. </p>
<p>BTW, the anger in this message is directed at the idiot, ignorant, dumbasses who keep spouting out all this crap that berkeley is some crime infested city. All it takes is some reasonable judgement. Hell, i fear the COPS in the city for harrassing people more than i do the homeless people.</p>
<p>sorry but i am having trouble visiting the school because of financial reasons, so i am only asking..... Like what if i wanna go study @ the library until midnight or something?</p>
<p>Has anyone gotten attacked, raped, or anything on campus?</p>
<p>If you consider yourself a true suburbanite and really appreciate the fact that everything is orderly and nice, then you probably wouldn't like the environment much. However, if you're looking forward to change, new things, etc. then the urban environment is definitely not a reason to hold you back.</p>
<p>Personally, I grew up hating the city of Berkeley (dirtiness, crowdedness, etc.) and I never liked visiting here. As an outsider, you might feel the same way if you visit once or twice. But the thing you have to realize is that most likely you will not be living right ON Telegraph or right in the middle of downtown, which are the only areas that I think actually bother people. You will probably be living in offshoots of these areas, where the urban craziness and weirdness drops off dramatically. If you really wanted to you could avoid the "crazy" areas altogether and Berkeley would seem like a very nice place (Campus, Northside, Southeast side).</p>
<p>As far as crime and safety, there are many areas where I personally would not walk around alone after midnight. However, I don't think it's necessary for most people to walk around by themselves after midnight anyway. As long as you're in a group you generally feel safe. Around the dorms and the Telegraph area I almost always feel safe (I live on west side btw).</p>
<p>Long story short, no I don't really feel safe alone after midnight (depending on the area), but I don't feel that this has been an issue or has made me regret being here. Even though Berkeley has more crime and bum interaction than a place like Stanford, as long as you have some street smarts it's a fun, likeable living situation.</p>
<p>Also, bum confrontations are the worst that has happened to me. Once you realize that the confrontational ones are just crazy/high/drunk and they probably won't even remember you, then it's no big deal. I've heard a lot of mugging-type stories though, which is part of the reason that I wouldn't go out in certain areas alone after midnight.</p>
<p>All things considered, Berkeley is pretty safe, especially if you keep your head up and pay attention. A lot of people end up getting mugged or jumped because they were expressing timid body language, doing things they shouldn't, or just being obviously drunk in public. You want to see gnarly and dangerous? The bad areas of Oakland and Richmond will fill the bill nicely. Otherwise? Berkeley is pretty much safe if you travel in groups at night or are a large, assertive-looking guy and don't take guff from anyone. </p>
<p>I'm with PunkDudeus on that I'm tired of hearing how dangerous Berkeley, even though I used to say that especially after I got mugged, I realized -- hey, this is a reality, time to man up and get some understanding of what poverty and apathy does to some people. You can only get this by living in an urban environment. Just use your common sense, don't walk around drunk alone at 2 AM, wear really expensive jewelry in public after coming back from a frat party or something (jeez, if you are going some place that requires you to be dressed that nice, get a ride or take a cab.) And for the LOVE OF GOD, walk upright and look alert people!!!! If I were a mugger, the first person I'd go after is the girls with their arms crossed, looking dourly at the ground or the guy who looks lost. Note: This is a theoretical, I WOULD NEVER, EVER mug anyone.</p>
<p>If you really want to stay up studying till midnight, I believe there's an escort service you can call...</p>
<p>bearwalk, which runs all night, will walk you home carrying a can of mace, so you're safe if you want extra protection late at night.</p>
<p>the CAMPUS is safe. if you're inviting folks to share "horror stories," then you're really seeking out a specific kind of response. no college is truly safe, all colleges are targets for crime for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>I'd like to echo the sentiments of andrewtdx. If crimes do occur, then more than likely it is not completely random. Certain people make better targets than others. Body language is everything. Not nice to say, but a lot of people invite trouble instead of the other way around.</p>
<p>Me too, I am sick and tired of defending Berkeley academics, the campus and surrounding areas. It's gotten to the point I don't read much less respond on CC any longer. I live in Unit 1 and have never felt unsafe walking to and from the library late at night or around the Southside, the frats, to or from the Bart Station, etc.
A certain amount of common sense comes into play when walking. I feel UCPD is very responsive and they have a presence in the streets around the campus. There's crime everywhere, Berkeley too.</p>
<p>berkeley doesn't really feel that safe in the south side where all the dorms are and apartments are. i think you should be fine though. but you won't FEEL that safe when you walk around at night as you would at UCLA at night. UCLA will feel like a gated community. most parts of berkeley surrounding the campus will feel like downtown los angeles. ucla is much cleaner/nicer looking but i doubt that will make anyone feel happier in the long run. pretty much both colleges are the same. it's a tough choice because seriously there's not too much different.</p>
<p>calkid, i found your post the most helpful because you kept it real. I have been to UCLA numerous times, and it does feel like a community @ night! esp since bel air is right next door. Everyone on here is sugar coating it by saying "oh its as safe as any other campus" but the reality is that its not. UCLA is much safer. </p>
<p>Calkid, or anyone in particular who chose berk over ucla, what are the safest sides of the campus, since south side isnt safe? Any <em>safer</em> dorm recommendations? Also, have there been any attacks on students, etc? Im just really curious people, so bear with me, since i am not in berkeley to make my own judgment</p>
<p>"the CAMPUS is safe. if you're inviting folks to share "horror stories," then you're really seeking out a specific kind of response."</p>
<p>Nice call, ttgiang15.</p>
<p>"calkid, i found your post the most helpful because you kept it real."</p>
<p>Why ask this question if you've already made up your mind? You're only looking for the answer you wanted anyway.</p>
<p>i am only looking for unbiased answers....</p>
<p>and the horror stories are just to see how bad can it get; i think its pretty understandable.</p>
<p>What i am really wondering is...whats worst, USC's ghetto area, or berkeley's area? (I live about 30-40 mins away from USC so i know what the area looks like, but not berkeley, so if anyone has seen both, post your thoughts!)</p>
<p>USC's in south central man, berkeley's north of the rich part of oakland, it'd more like echo park or the central part of pasadena, or the nicer parts of long beach, if you want to compare it to LA places.</p>
<p>mojojojo69, I know you have good intentions, but you have approached this subject in terrible fashion. It is not nice to allege well-meaning posters, who have taken the time and effort to respond, to accuse us of "sugarcoating," that we are somehow actively misinforming to get a point across. With all due respect, we eat, sleep, and drink Berkeley every day and we know better than anyone. And for you to come on to these boards and exclaim "the REALITY is that it's not; UCLA is much safer" is nothing short of disrespect and pure arrogance. </p>
<p>Without a doubt, the most objectable offense is your insistence on hearing about other's miseries just so you can see "how bad it can get." In fact, in one your posts, you even mentioned in name "rape": *** do you expect from us- "Oh yeah, I was totally raped last night"? Would that satisfy your need in understanding "how bad it can get"? Your timing is particularly insensitive due to increased focus on violence in college. While most of Cal students do not have direct relations to the victims, or even the school Virginia Tech, we have all felt, to some degree, of the reverberations of its impact in our community. </p>
<p>In the context of these boards, "horror stories" have been shared without fail in this season of college decisions where current Cal students, instead of looking to share their wonderful experiences and discuss the many things they love about our school, we've found ourselves on the defensive more than anything else. Not surprisingly, it has taken its toll as you can tell by some of the responses in this thread. Perhaps you were the straw that broke the camel's back and that you've received more than your fair share of flak, but you certainly haven't helped your cause in follow-up posts. </p>
<p>Note that by soliciting personal stories, opinions, or comparisons is not working towards an unbiased response: the answers will be completely subjective. If objectivity is your intent, then you are more than welcome to look over these crime statistics made available online, as required by the national Clery Act. </p>
<p><a href="http://police.berkeley.edu/annual_report/2005/berkeley/FBI_Part1_Part2_Crimes.html%5B/url%5D">http://police.berkeley.edu/annual_report/2005/berkeley/FBI_Part1_Part2_Crimes.html</a>
<a href="http://police.berkeley.edu/annual_report/2005/los_angeles/FBI_Part1_Part2_Crimes.html%5B/url%5D">http://police.berkeley.edu/annual_report/2005/los_angeles/FBI_Part1_Part2_Crimes.html</a></p>
<p>In addition, here's a map of crime occurrency in the entire city of Berkeley, broken down by neighborhoods:</p>
<p>I spent quite a while searching through the LAPD website, and also trying to see if Cal has access to archived national crime statistics through subscription or otherwise, but LAPD crime statistics are shockingly limited in scope, aside from availability. To me, this is slightly disconcerting (what are they trying to hide?). For now, we must make due with what university police data suggests, but I will say that if and when you do go make judgments about areas around each campus, that you don't rush to judgment. The links above suggest that campus violence at both schools are roughly equal, which begs the question: who is perpetrating these acts? My best guess is that the violators do not restrict their activity to campus... UCLA, Cal, and all schools in urban settings are targets for crime; saying otherwise is completely ignorant.</p>
<p>thanks, the numbers were helpful, but you have to understand that i didnt think it was insensitive...i mean, i wasnt even thinking about Vtech at all. I was thinking about my personal safety. And now that you mention it, its perfect timing cuz i definately dont want to die on-campus something! lol but the numbers cleared up some stuff...</p>
<p>It's a pity you didn't take the time to come to Berkeley and "see for yourself" the Campus and the area surrounding it as well as the Bay Area in general. No one should depend on others to make such an important decision... you are probably better off not attending Cal if you have concerns of this nature.</p>
<p>i clearly stated that i couldnt for financial reasons, so i guess all poor people shouldnt go to cal cuz they cant visit....</p>
<p>I've been to Berkeley a couple of times and the campus seemed really safe, and the surroundings aren't bad at all. I live about 10 minutes from UCLA and it didn't seem any different to me. In the Village by UCLA there's tons of homeless people but there's also tons of UCLA students and in both places, you just need to be aware of your surroundings and be confident and cautious. I mean, I'm a pretty anxious person, but I think I'll be just fine at Berkeley. I just won't be running around alone at midnight on campus or off campus. </p>
<p>I was with my parents at Cal Day and we went to the Bear's Lair Pub afterwards and there was this guy there at the bar who looks like one of the interesting locals, kind of seedy and all that. But even with his lack of a bunch of teeth we had an interesting conversation. He said that he lives to the west of the campus and is always at the pub. One night he was drunk and was heading back to his apt. going across campus and had to take a pee. It was really bad, so he decided to do it on a tree. Well, he started peeing and in the middle of it a campus police officer shined a light on him and he was like, sorry, he couldn't wait. They were cool, and he took off without a problem. </p>
<p>What I'm trying to say is, there's going to be stuff like this and that's life. It's more interesting to me to talk to people like this and not be afraid of them than it is being scared of your own shadow because people aren't just like you.</p>
<p>Then, I love places with "character"!</p>
<p>Some kid got stabbed getting into his car at Penn (or was it Cornell...) last year...doesn't mean the campus is unsafe. Crimes are bound to happen everywhere. As long as you're smart about what you do, you should be fine. With that said, I have never encountered any problems at Berkeley. Once in a while I see a drunk bum but they're harmless.</p>