By Sarah Hansell Staff Writer hansell14@up.edu
The recently-released 2010 Department of Public Safety Crime and Fire Report showed an increase in forcible sex offenses, liquor law violations, drug abuse violations, residential burglary and aggravated assault.
However, with the exception of liquor law violations, there were few incidents of crime overall.
Public Safety emailed the report to the UP community, on Sept. 6, as mandated by the Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to issue an annual safety report.
The safety report includes statistics about crime on and adjacent to campus for January 2010 to December 2010, as well as explanations of crime and the University's policies.
Two forcible sex offenses were reported, an increase from none last year. However, Harold Burke-Sivers, the director of Public Safety, believes sexual assault is still the most underreported crime on college campuses.
"I think that's true everywhere," Burke-Sivers said.
One of the reported sexual assaults occurred in a residence hall and the other in the neighborhood adjacent to campus.
There was also an alleged use of a date rape drug at an off-campus party that lead to a sexual assault, though this claim has not been substantiated, according to Burke-Sivers.
"We did some sting operations at the house and we weren't able to find anything with regard to a date rape drug," Burke-Sivers said.
There was a significant increase in liquor law violations, from 89 the year before to 106 last year.
"More students are getting caught drinking," Burke-Sivers said.
Burke-Sivers believes most of the violations happen in residence halls.
"I think most of those violations were internal," Burke-Sivers said. "The vast majority of those were done with the halls and through residence life."
Some resident assistants were not surprised to hear about the large increase in reported liquor law violations.
"I feel like last year we were always hearing about stuff that was happening," senior and second-year Schoenfelt RA Kyle Buchberger said. "I think you can see it easily in the fact that they had to cancel homecoming this year."
Some RAs said that many of the reported liquor law violations were concentrated on specific weekends.
"I feel like they revolved on weekends when there were things going on," senior and second-year Fields Hall RA Michelle Reynolds said.
There was also an increase in drug abuse violations from one in 2009 to six this past year, all of which involved marijuana, according to Burke-Sivers.
"This is my 11th year," Burke-Sivers said. "There has only been twice that I remember that those drugs have not been marijuana."
There was a small increase in residential burglary, from six in 2009 to seven in 2010. However, bike theft, which is included in residential burglary, has decreased.
"I think the community has been responsive in our call for securing their bikes better," Burke-Sivers said.
There was one report of aggravated assault on campus, an increase from the previous year.
Despite slight increases in some categories of reported crime, many students report feeling very safe on campus.
"I've never felt unsafe on campus ever," junior Cady Anderson said. "I think partially because it's so small and you can always get to a safe place."
Many students feel safe on campus regardless of the time of day.
"Last year, I always felt safe if I was walking back late to the dorms," sophomore Alyssa Opland said.
Some students said the "blue-light" emergency phones help promote the feeling of security on campus.
"I feel really safe on campus," sophomore Tom Bluth said. "It's nice to know the emergency poles are there."
However, while students feel safe on campus, some students feel less secure in the surrounding neighborhood.
"Walking around the neighborhood, I don't feel that secure, but on campus I do," junior Hannah Hoffman said.
Public Safety encourages students who feel unsafe, on or off campus, to call their 24-hour escort service. The number is (503) 943-7161
"Just call us 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Burke-Sivers said. "We'll walk with them or give them a ride."
Some students say they feel safer because they do not see strangers on campus.
"I don't feel that UP is a very dangerous campus because it's kind of secluded from the city and there's not like random people coming through campus," sophomore Jackie Ackerson said.
Public Safety urges students to contacts its office immediately if they ever do see a stranger or someone who makes them feel uncomfortable on campus.
"If (a student) sees someone suspicious, they need to call us right away," Burke-Sivers said.
Students contacted for this article believe that UP is a safe place overall.
"I don't feel unsafe on campus," sophomore Jordan Mattson said. "There's always a P-Safe officer somewhere."
