Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
USC Students Protest Crazy New Security Measures
(Photo by sandeep_shenoy via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
()
A group of USC students are rebelling against the panopticon-like safety measures taken by the university in the name of extra security.
The measures were created after two separate incidents last year: A shooting at a Halloween party that left four people wounded and the killing of two graduate students last April.
KPCCreports that the new security additions to the campus include a fingerprint scanner, license plate readers, security cameras and random ID checks. Campus police are also strengthening ties with the LAPD to patrol communities surrounding the campus. But the centerpieces of the new fortified campus are a series of gates surrounding the campus that were erected last January. The gates are intended to lock the campus from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
With the construction of the gates, many have accused USC of closing itself off to the surrounding community. Allegations of racial profiling, which are not new to the campus, have also permeated talks of the new security measures. In an L.A. Streetsblog article published last January, a young African-American resident of the area claimed that he was stopped and profiled so many times that he now avoids the area.
Support for LAist comes from
On Twitter, students are using the #USChangeMovement hashtag to bring attention of the security measures to university president C.L. Max Nickias.
"USC is a community space," USC graduate student Makiah Green said to The Daily Trojan. "Community members who have been here for years can't access the space anymore. We are in someone else's neighborhood. It's not our neighborhood and to restrict access all of a sudden sends a very harmful and disrespectful message."
A student-organized petition, "Take Down the USC Gates," currently has 387 supporters, but has yet to provoke a response from university officials.
In addition, many on campus are saying that the mandatory security fees - $57.50 per student per semester - are too expensive and should be used for other things on campus.
KPCC has reported an overall decline in crime statistics on campus since 2008.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago. -
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Best of LAist