The reported offenses of rape, stalking and dating violence at Cal State LA have increased since last year according to the school’s latest Annual Security Report.
In 2018, there were six on-campus rapes and four campus residential rapes, six dating violence offenses on campus along with two campus residential offenses and 12 reported cases of stalking on-campus. These are more than triple the reported cases seen last year.
“As a woman, just walking to my car [is] scary already… to hear this is actually happening, it kind of puts you in a different place,” said Ashley Cervantes, a sociology major.
Chief of Police Larry Bohannon could not provide a statement in time on what changes, if any, Public Safety and the University police are planning or providing in order to decrease these cases.
“A lot of students are unaware of the services here, like the help they can get especially with CAPS [Counseling and Psychological Services] or the student health center,” said Kyrene Beltran, a criminal justice major.
According to the report, the University Police Department have programs such as Rape Aggression Defense Systems (R.A.D.) and the Operation Identification program. The latter program allows students to engrave their state identification number on their personal property, free of charge. This would make it easier for property to be identified if found.
The University also mandates the “Not Anymore” course, an online course that addresses sexual offenses, abusive relationships, alcohol, and safety. Cal State LA students must obtain a “B” or higher in order to register for spring 2020 classes.
Areas that have shown improvement include drug law referrals which have decreased by more than half since 2016. Burglary and motor vehicle theft have also seen a steady decrease.
If you have experienced any form of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, domestic or dating violence, Cal State L.A has four Title IX deputy coordinators and University Police to help:
- Title IX Coordinator, Director Mariel S. Mulet, Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion- 323-343-3040.
- University Police, 323-343-3700.
If you are seeking anonymous help contact the Student Health Center Counseling & Psychological Services at 323-343-3314.
