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Sororities at a prominent southern California university will now have private nighttime security after facing persistent harassment from homeless people that left some young women feeling unsafe, according to a report.
The UCLA Panhellenic Association, which describes itself as the school’s largest women’s association, hired private security officers to guard the university’s sorority row, which spans several blocks on Hilgard Avenue of the urban Los Angeles campus, according to the California Post.
Young women have reported aggressive behavior from homeless people who continuously approach them and make lewd comments, and have chided campus police for being unresponsive to their concerns.
The Delta Gamma sorority house on UCLA’s sorority row, taken on an known date. (Google Maps)
“We had a meeting with UCPD a few weeks ago and it didn’t go well,” 20-year-old student Ani Hovanesian told The Post. “They seemed unaware of the issue and not really proactive. They kept turning it back on us like ‘why aren’t you calling 911 or reporting any of this’ and it’s like ummm, we are and that’s why we’re here.”
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Another student, 20-year-old Catherine Nichley, said she doesn’t feel “completely safe.”
“The weird part is that it’s usually the same three homeless men hanging around this row, typically between 40 and 60 years old, often sitting at the bus stop,” she told The Post.
She described one man, dubbed “The Hilgard Screamer,” who randomly yells at all hours of the day and night.
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The Apha Phi sorority house UCLA’s sorority row taken on an unknown date. (Google Maps)
“These men stare into your soul,” Nichley told the outlet. “They make lewd comments, and I’ve actually yelled back, ‘What are you looking at?’ because it feels so creepy.”
Another sorority member said she rarely sees campus police in the area, and that she feels safer walking near the fraternity houses, where there is a larger police presence. She added that sometimes, homeless people sleep on the lawns of the sorority houses.
The University of California Police Department said it conducts regular patrols in the area.
Janss Steps on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2017. (MichaelGordon1/Getty Images)
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“UCPD takes seriously the concerns students have raised about harassment and unsettling behavior near Hilgard Avenue. Students should feel safe where they live, study and walk near campus, and we are listening closely,” the department told Digital.
“UCPD conducts regular and directed patrols in the area, including increased evening presence, and continues to work with campus partners, student leaders and chapter stakeholders to address concerns and connect students with support,” the department added.
Digital reached out to UCLA Panhellenic Association.
