Recent data from USC’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) shows a reduction in crime since the university installed gates and fencing around the campus’ perimeter last summer.
“Since the new security measures were put in place at the gates in August 2024, we have seen a 42% decrease in crimes reported to DPS on the University Park Campus,” DPS Assistant Chief David Carlisle said in an email statement to Annenberg Media.
There were 320 reports made between August 21, 2023, to January 27, 2024, according to Carlisle. That number dropped to 220 for the period of August 26, 2024, to January 27, 2025.
“Theft of electric scooters has been our number one crime problem both on and off campus,” Carlisle added.
Rochelle Sandiford, a junior dramatic arts major, began this semester as a spring admit from Santa Monica College.
The difference between USC and Santa Monica College, according to Sandiford?
“It’s definitely a lot more hunkered down here,” she said.
USC transitioned to a 24/7 secured perimeter after a series of pro-Palestinian encampments on campus last April, followed by the November construction of a permanent gate at McClintock — making USC fully enclosed for the first time since 1880.
“It’s just the way that [the gates] were implemented,” Sandiford said. “It feels kind of dingy.”
The goal of the gates was partially to limit the presence of unauthorized individuals at the university.
However, some students are left questioning the effectiveness of the gates in preventing people from entering campus.
“There was this guy who had a knife on campus,” said Sandiford. “They tackled him, and I was there. I was like, ‘What the heck? How did he get in?’”
DPS reported an unhoused person with a knife at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Trousdale Parkway on January 22.
Xitlaly Koppleman-Benavidez, a sophomore neuroscience major, shared a similar view.
“I don’t know if there’s much of a point to it,” she said. “There’s still a lot of non-students on campus anyway.”
Gareth Fung, a freshman business administration major, called the gates “a bit annoying.”
Still, Fung sees the gates as a necessary safety precaution. “Even though it’s a bit tedious to get in and out, I think it’s better,” he said.
Carlisle shared a similar sentiment.
“We’ve seen a significant reduction in crime in exchange for a minor inconvenience,” he said. “So it seems to be worth it.”
When it comes to the question of whether the gates and fencing are permanent fixtures on campus, Carlisle said he remains unsure.
“That’s a decision that would be made by senior administration,” he said. “We just enforce the rules.”