Heathpack 

From a Quora response asking a similar question:

”The problem around USC isn’t hate crime, it’s good ol’ regular crime. For those who don’t know, USC is very close to the neighborhood known as South Los Angeles, formerly known as South Central Los Angeles. It’s also close to the cities of Inglewood and Watts. It is a high crime area with many different gangs, particularly the 18th Street Gang (Hispanic/Latino), the Bloods and Crips (split up into various factions, all predominantly black), the Armenian Power gang, and different smaller groups. The area used to be a largely black community, but is now about 75% Hispanic/Latino and just over 20% black. There’s a lot of economic blight with run-down, dilapidated buildings and heavy congestion. Since it’s near Downtown Los Angeles, there are skyscrapers in the background.Generally speaking, the streets immediately around USC aren’t so bad. On one side there’s Exposition Park, which includes the Science Center and several other museums with overpriced parking. On Figueroa and Exposition there’s a Starbucks on the corner, then after Figueroa and Jefferson there are several fast food restaurants, including a Subway. On Vermont there’s a Smart & Final supermarket, a Taco Bell and several other small shops, and on Jefferson between Figueroa and Hoover is the famous Shrine Auditorium. People walk in these areas everyday with no problems; I’ve done so many times myself.

Here comes the “but.” If you decide to walk farther than the streets I cited your risk of something unwanted happening can increase. If you want to walk past the aforementioned area, travel with a friend. Carry pepper spray (laws may vary, so check first) or something else that you can use as a weapon in case you need it. Knowing self-defense, especially martial arts or boxing can’t hurt either. Try to walk so that people will avoid you, such as walking with confidence and a bad attitude that says “I won’t take crap from anyone.” Thugs and criminals tend to target weak victims who won’t fight back. If faced with someone holding a gun and that person tells you to get into a car, DON’T get in the car! Scream and yell “Fire!” Run to a populated area, do what you have to do to get away. Educate yourself to protect yourself.

What kind of crimes can happen? Robbery/mugging is one, and is not generally considered a hate crime, but a crime of opportunity. Sexual assault or **** is another. I’m not saying these crimes will happen, only that there’s a higher probability of them happening the farther away you get from the USC campus. It’s possible to attend USC for four or more years and never experience nor even see a crime, so there’s no need to live in fear. But you will need to be aware of your surroundings and realize that USC is not in the safest location in the world. A little extra caution can’t hurt anyone.”