Following the reported sexual assault at the Orange Grove on Sept. 26, students are taking action to advocate for more safety measures on campus. A Change.org petition, which has now garnered over 2,700 signatures, demands that cameras be installed within the grove.
“Surveillance systems are effective in reducing crime rates,” the petition reads, “and their presence serves as a warning that criminals can and will be apprehended.”
Following the assault, the victim contacted campus police through an emergency Blue Light phone. Chief Officer Mark Benavidez said the person, who requested “confidentiality,” is not affiliated with CSUN and was not familiar with the campus.
The assault is still an active investigation, and campus police are still pinpointing the exact location of the attack.
The creator of the petition, CSUN student Inkiad Kabir, was outraged after learning about not only the recent assault, but also of prior incidents on campus.
He referenced Davis Moreno-Jaime, a former CSUN student, who was accused of multiple sexual assaults between April 2017 and July 2018 and convicted of one count of forcible rape in September 2019. The Reddit post also alleges prior assaults on campus, including at the Orange Grove and in a men’s restroom near the University Student Union (USU) last year.
“I felt the need to start the petition and, like, gather as much attention to it so that the university feels pressured to add the cameras,” Kabir said.
Through his social media accounts and a CSUN Reddit page, Kabir gained traction for the petition. Students, some of whom identify as young women, expressed feelings of uneasiness and fear in comments on the petition about being on campus late at night. “I worry about being in the wrong place at the wrong time with no help around,” one comment read.
Maya Shoosmith, a freshman who resides on campus, said she is now more cautious when leaving her dorm and while walking by herself. Even the short trip to the dining hall brings about the question of safety. Shoosmith said she refrains from walking around campus without a friend to accompany her.
To regain some control amidst the uncertainty, Shoosmith signed Kabir’s petition as soon as she received it.
“It’s the least I can do to prevent something like this from happening again,” she said.
The petition is now spreading beyond its online platform. When transfer student Derenice Chavez, who is in her first semester at CSUN, signed the petition, she had the urge to do more.
“I’ve always been an advocate for people in vulnerable populations – those who don’t have a voice,” she said, calling herself a “loud mouth.”
As a public health major, Chavez felt connected to the cause, explaining that the high traffic area of the Orange Grove, being located close to the bus stop, is a cause for “disaster.”
Chavez connected with Kabir on TikTok in an effort to take the petition a step further. The two met at the University Library to draft an email to CSUN President Erika D. Beck. They said they will be emailing those who sign the petition their own email template to fill out.
“They can put their name, sign it, send it out,” Chavez said.
While no cameras are located directly in the Orange Grove, Chief Officer Mark Benevidez said cameras are surrounding the area, including a CCTV camera on the pathway by the pond.
There are three emergency Blue Light phones and CCTV cameras along the perimeter of the Orange Grove, including on Lindley, at the pond and north of the F2 parking lot near Chaparral Hall. An additional Blue Light phone is located east of the Orange Grove by the G1 parking lot.
Benavidez also confirmed that security has been increased in the area, with patrol officers conducting more patrols in addition to routine ones. In addition to this, Benavidez said CSUN’s physical plant management cuts the grass regularly in order to maintain visibility throughout the grove.
For students worried about walking alone on campus, Matador Patrol offers safety escorts. The students are dressed in “high-visibility” highlighter green and are stationed in front of the University Library steps from dusk until 10 p.m. Students can also contact campus police for 24/7 escorts.
According to Benavidez, the newest resource available to students is the CSUN SAFE app, which launched on Wednesday. Students can download CSUN SAFE through the app store.
CSUN SAFE offers the ability to contact police through Mobile BlueLight, including texting capabilities, access to emergency procedures and a feature to track and share locations with friends.
“It provides our students with a direct-connect resource to police services,” Benavidez said.
