USC announces new safety measures for campus, neighborhood

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- USC has announced new safety measures for its campus and the surrounding neighborhood following the brutal death of a graduate student last month.

Xinran Ji, a 24-year-old student from China, was beaten to death while walking home from a study group.

The university says it will upgrade its extensive surveillance camera in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus and increase the number of personnel monitoring those cameras around the clock. Investigators say the camera system was key in helping catch Ji's alleged killers.

The security improvements also include additional neighborhood security ambassadors out on the streets and canvassing the area year-round.

Safety patrols will increase, particularly at night, and the university is expanding its free car escorts to serve more students and reduce wait times.

In addition, USC says it is setting up a free mobile safety app that allows students or staff to immediately contact the university's department of public safety.

The school says it plans to improve its safety education programs, which run through "welcome week" and into the school year. USC will also be mandating safety education for all incoming international graduate students beginning in the fall. It is already mandatory for incoming undergraduate students.