By Carolyn Solar |Staff Writer|

San Bernardino has gained the reputation as a troubled city.

Crime, bankruptcy, and political corruption have aided San Bernardino in gaining its name as “the poorest city of its size in California,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

On average, there are 12,268 crimes committed in San Bernardino every year, according to Neighborhoodscout.com.

In a crime-ridden city, CSUSB has become a target for theft and sexual assault.

With 24/7 police patrol of the campus, the CSUSB Police Department offers a number of resources made available to students in order to feel safe on campus.

“The department is responsible for the 471-acre north San Bernardino campus with its 20,000 students, faculty and staff and also for the surrounding area, including the campus and outlying residential, canyon and foothills,” as stated on the CSUSB Police Department website.

Students have access to many resources on campus, such as immediate police assistance by dialing on-campus x911 or (909) 537-5165 for non-emergency requests.

CSUSB students, staff, faculty or visitors who are concerned about safety while on campus may also ask to be escorted to their vehicle by an officer.

Escorts are provided by foot, department cart, or vehicle and can be reached by dialing from an on-campus phone at x75165 or from a cell phone at (909) 537-5165.

With all that is being done to ensure campus safety, students are still concerned with safety in the city of San Bernardino.

Students like Amy Allen said she believes that police presence on campus is not enough to guarantee safety on campus.

“We mainly see police in Arrowhead Village and Serrano Village, but we never see them at the Social and Behavioral Building or even by the track,” said Allen.

Allen explained that for students living in nearby residences, police presence is even scarcer than on campus.

“Since I have moved to San Bernardino, I have gotten my car broken into, homeless men knocking at my door at 3 a.m., had my locks changed, and have had to call police for assistance multiple times,” said Allen.

Other students have also felt fear in locations that surround CSUSB.

Senior Joanna Meraz recalled a time earlier this month that she felt unsafe within miles of campus.

“I went to the Starbucks by school and they were getting robbed. A man wearing a white mask holding a gun told me to leave or he was going to shoot, so I walked back to my car. In that moment I knew I wasn’t safe here,” stated Meraz in an e-mail.

She went on to explain that the blue emergency poles on campus are one aspect that make CSUSB feel safer than other parts of San Bernardino.

The blue emergency poles found around campus are actually telephones. Equipped with a red button, the pole alerts authorities of your location in the case of an emergency.

Campus police patrol campus regularly, but students like Meraz feel that police need to be more accessible, especially at nearby locations.

The police department offers opportunities for the community to stay involved in the safety of the community.

“Campus community members can become involved with enhancing safety and fighting crime at the University by becoming a member of the Police Department Volunteers,” according to the CSUSB Police Department website.

For more information on services offered by the university police, check out police.csusb.edu.