{
  "id": "2024-04-04-usc-atm-robbery",
  "slug": "usc-atm-robbery-2024-04-04",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Southern California",
    "shortName": "USC",
    "state": "CA",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "TrojansAlert",
    "enrollment": 49000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-04-04",
    "type": "robbery",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "resolution": "under-investigation",
    "headline": "Knifepoint robbery at an ATM near campus prompts a timely warning",
    "headlinePublic": "Knifepoint robbery at an ATM near campus prompts a timely warning",
    "summary": "On April 4, 2024, at approximately 9:49 p.m. PDT, a suspect brandished a knife and [robbed a victim who had just withdrawn money](https://dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/) from the Bank of America ATM at 3201 South Hoover Street near USC's University Park Campus. The suspect fled westbound on Jefferson Boulevard on foot. USC's Department of Public Safety issued a Clery Act timely warning to the campus community.",
    "outcome": "Suspect fled on foot westbound on Jefferson Boulevard. No arrest reported at time of alert. Investigation ongoing by DPS and LAPD Southwest Division."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Shortly after 9:49 p.m. PT, April 4, 2024",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Reported Offense: Robbery\n\nDate & Time of Occurrence: 04/04/2024 9:49 p.m.\n\nLocation: Outside Bank of America at 3201 South Hoover Street\n\nThe suspect observed the victim withdrawing money from the Bank of America ATM. The suspect threatened the victim with the knife and demanded the newly withdrawn money. The suspect was last seen going westbound on Jefferson Boulevard on foot.\n\nIf you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321.\n\nIf you have information relevant to the crime(s) reflected in this alert, immediately call DPS at (213) 740-6000 for the University Park Campus (UPC), (323) 442-1000 for the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) or (213) 485-6571 for the LAPD Southwest Division.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/",
      "sourceDescription": "USC Department of Public Safety Timely Warning Archive",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim text from the official USC DPS timely warning archive at dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/",
        "The ATM location at 3201 South Hoover Street is just south of Jefferson Boulevard, within the DPS patrol zone",
        "USC timely warnings for robbery are among the most frequently issued Clery alerts in the country due to the urban campus environment",
        "The alert does not include a suspect description, suggesting the victim may not have been able to provide one"
      ],
      "characterCount": 773
    }
  ],
  "context": "The [University of Southern California's University Park Campus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Southern_California#University_Park_Campus) sits in a dense urban neighborhood south of downtown Los Angeles, where property crime and robbery have been persistent concerns for decades. USC's [Department of Public Safety](https://dps.usc.edu/category/timely-warnings/) issues Clery Act timely warnings at a high rate compared to peer institutions, reflecting both the volume of reported crime near campus and the university's commitment to compliance. The April 4, 2024 [ATM robbery](https://dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/) at the Bank of America branch on South Hoover Street follows a familiar pattern: suspects target students and community members withdrawing cash at ATMs near campus during evening hours. USC's TrojansAlert system, which delivers notifications via text and email, is the primary channel for these warnings. The DPS alert directed witnesses to contact either DPS or the LAPD Southwest Division, reflecting the overlapping jurisdictions that characterize policing near USC. A separate, unrelated USC incident earlier that same day, an afternoon apartment burglary and hours-long standoff on West 30th Street, is documented as its own case in this archive.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "ATM robberies near USC's University Park Campus are a recurring pattern reflected in multiple timely warnings per year",
    "The alert was issued as a Clery Act timely warning rather than an emergency notification, indicating an ongoing but not immediate campus-wide threat",
    "Overlapping jurisdiction between USC DPS and LAPD Southwest Division is typical for urban campus policing"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Robbery - USC Department of Public Safety (April 4, 2024)",
      "url": "https://dps.usc.edu/2024/04/04/robbery-122/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Timely Warnings Archives - USC Department of Public Safety",
      "url": "https://dps.usc.edu/category/timely-warnings/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "robbery",
    "atm",
    "armed-robbery",
    "knife",
    "timely-warning",
    "urban-campus",
    "los-angeles",
    "california",
    "property-crime"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}