UCLA Police Release Annual Report
By Sam Catanzaro
The University of California Los Angeles Police Department (UCLA PD) has released their annual report on the status of safety at and around UCLA showing an increase in sexual assault, rape, arrests, domestic violence, stalking and possession of illegal weapons while reporting a decrease in burglary, motor vehicle theft, drug arrests and liquor law violations.
According to UCLA PD, the 2019 Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is intended to inform the campus community and raise awareness about UCLA’s campus crime statistics, security policies and steps the public can take to maximize personal safety.
The report includes incidents on and off-campus. UCLA PD collects statistical information from Campus Security Authorities (CSA’s) and local municipal police departments; including the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Pasadena Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, Culver City Police Department and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
According to the 2019 report, sexual assault increased 119 percent in 2018 while rape increased by 74 percent. While domestic violence only increased slightly from 2017, the 33 cases reported in 2018 still represent a 136 percent increase from 2016 levels. Likewise, stalking decreased slightly in 2018 but was up 150 percent from 2016.
UCPD Lt. Kevin Kilgore told the Daily Bruin that he thinks more prevalent education about sexual assault has led to the rise in reports.
“There’s a few different points that probably contributed to that increase,” Kilgore said. “And that’s increased education and awareness of sexual violence and survivor rights, both by UCPD and our campus partners such as (UCLA Student Affairs and the Dean of Students.)”
In addition, while arrests for carrying or possessing illegal weapons only increased by one case in 2018, they increased 550 percent from 2016 levels when UCLA made only two such arrests.
Possession of firearms or replicas, ammunition, explosives, knives with blades longer than 2½ inches, other weapons, and fireworks are prohibited on campus. California Penal Code Sections 626.9 and 626.10 also prohibit the possession of firearms (including pellet and BB guns) on UCLA property without specific written permission from the Chief of Police.
Areas in which UCLA PD reported a decrease in activity include burglary (four percent decrease), motor vehicle theft (48 percent decrease), drug-related arrests (27 percent decrease), liquor law arrests (95 percent decrease) and liquor law disciplinary citations (37 percent decrease).
Robbery, aggravated assault and arson remained stagnant.
Some notable off-campus incidents over the past year include the following.
In July, a female was walking on the sidewalk near La Conte Avenue and Westwood Boulevard when she was approached by a man who began pushing her while making sexually explicit threats. Multiple bystanders intervened by yelling, forcing the suspect to stop and the victim was able to escape by running from the scene uninjured.
On April 9 at around 8:55 p.m., an individual reported a suspect approached him and struck the back of his head with a metal rod near Westwood Boulevard and Weyburn Avenue. The victim sustained minor injuries following the attack.
On October 12, UCLA PD arrested a 21-year old male for sexually assaulting a UCLA student on October 12 at an off-campus frat party on Gayley Avenue.
