Alejandro Berragan paced behind the Tradewinds Apartments at 10:32 a.m. on Feb. 4 testing car doors in search of an unlocked car. Although he hid behind protrusions in the building to keep out of sight of students entering and exiting the building, his activity was recorded on security cameras monitored by Campus Safety.
Within minutes a Campus Safety officer arrived and confronted Berragan. Berragan circled the empty squad car and leaped through the open passenger window attempting to climb into the driver seat to steal the car. When the suspect did not heed the warnings given, the officer deployed his taser. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department arrested Berragan, and he is being held in their custody without bail.
The rise of crime
The event that occurred on Feb. 4 is part of an increase in crime around the Biola apartments that began at the end of October, said John Ojeisekhoba, chief of Campus Safety. The increase can be linked to a crime spike in the city of La Mirada, Ojeisekhoba said.
A definite explanation cannot be given for the increase because it is minimal at this point, said Lt. Kevin Beggs of the La Mirada Sheriff’s Station. The rise of property-related crimes in the Biola area could be related to the abundance of bikes owned by students, Beggs said.
“If I’m a bike thief, those apartments are lucrative to me,” Beggs said.
Methods to halt the increase
After recognizing the rising trend of property-related crimes, Campus Safety assessed the security measures in place at the Biola apartments and recommended more security cameras, longer hours of patrol, higher gates and more personnel.
In addition, a portion of the Grove parking lot has been temporarily sectioned off for apartment residents. This will give students the option to leave their cars parked on campus and receive an escort from Campus Safety to their apartment. It will be evaluated if this provision is needed after Feb. 14, which is currently the posted end date for the section, Ojeisekhoba said.
“We want to put safety first over convenience,” Ojeisekhoba said.
The cost of safety
The cost of the added security measures has doubled the Campus Safety budget, said Greg Balsano, vice president of university services. The increase is in the neighborhood of $72,000, Balsano said.
The money for the increase came from a project fund in the Auxiliary Services budget. This fund is set aside for any new project that needs to be completed during the year.
Students feel safe
The efforts by Campus Safety have not gone unnoticed by students. Due to the increased patrolling, there are fewer suspicious people around the apartments, said Malinda Sandoval, senior sociology major and Tropicana resident.
The extra measures have led to a safer atmosphere, said Kristen Hatakeda, junior business major and Lido resident.
“Since everything that has been happening this year, I’m very thankful for the extra security… I know people are here to make sure I’m safe and if I need them, they’re right there,” Kayla Roberts, senior kinesiology major and Tradewinds resident.
