Not everyone always feels safe on campus, but Pierce was ranked third in overall safety among the nine Los Angeles Community College District schools. This ranking is determined by the Annual Security Report.
Los Angeles Mission College ranked first with followed by Los Angeles Harbor College.
Deputy Sheriff Lazaro Sanchez explained that the officers at the Sheriff’s station have been trying to increase their presence on campus to eliminate spots where crimes could be committed.
“On a routine basis we try and improve our visibility, which means more patrol checks, we drive more often through the parking lots and we are trying to do more foot patrols,” Deputy Sheriff Lazaro Sanchez said. “We do have our number in the school newspaper and encourage students to contact us to report what they see.”
The crimes are all organized into sections such as violence, stalking, burglary, and other crimes of that nature. This way students and staff are informed on the crime statistics on each campus. The annual reports are available online at each college’s website.
In comparison to other colleges, in terms of on-campus safety and public property. Pierce is reportedly the third most safe campus based on the report from the district, with Los Angeles Mission College ranked first with followed by Los Angeles Harbor College.
Dean Juan Carlos Astorga said the vigilance of the Sheriff’s station is improving Pierce’s notoriety.
“It really speaks to the visibility of the Sheriffs and the cadets, I really appreciate the response time and their ability to be supportive of the needs of our students,” Astorga said. “If we continue to get the word out that Pierce is a safe campus, I’m hopeful that others will treat it as such.”
The only subsection that Pierce has not improved in is burglary. There was an increase from two to five burglaries between 2016 and 2017.
There was also a consistent number for robberies with one being committed a year.
Motor vehicle theft on campus has gone down from three to two a year.
Focusing on the violence, arson, assault and drug/alcohol related offenses, Pierce has made this almost non-existent. The only offense in these sections was one reported case of fondling.
Domestic violence disappeared in 2017 after having three in the previous year. Drug abuse violations also disappeared going down from two to none.
Counselor Joseph Roberson said the crime statistics report reflects the progression of Pierce College.
“I would say that the crime report can be seen as the identity of the local Pierce community, as well as the diligence of the Sheriffs and the cadets, as well as the student population,” Roberson said. “I would consider us blessed to be part of the Pierce college family.”
According to the report, the area that all the schools in the district need to improve is the amount burglaries and aggravated assaults on campus. This is a consistent problem across the board according to the reports.
Crime analysts from the Los Angeles Sheriff Department ensure the statistics are placed in the appropriate geographic and crime categories pursuant to the Clery Act.
