Burglaries on University property have increased this year, while larcenies have decreased, according to Public Safety’s Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics.
The new disclosure, which details all recorded criminal incidents on campus in a given year, compares the total number of incidents in 2005 with total numbers from the previous two years, numerically charting fluctuations in unlawful behavior on campus.
The 2005 statistic reveal that students reported 66 burglaries in 2005, an increase from the 45 burglaries reported in 2004. In contrast, larcenies decreased from 259 in 2004 to 217 in 2005.
“It’s important to understand that most of these fluctuations aren’t due to major changes in the average number of crimes,” said David Meyer, director of Public Safety. “What usually happens is one or two major surges in crime—usually caused by one person or one group—ups the total number for the year. In 2003, for example, when there were 77 burglaries, 30 of those burglaries were committed by one person, who we apprehended. Without him, 2003 would have been consistent with other years in terms of overall crime.”
Meyer emphasized that, while the average number of burglaries and larcenies per year tends to remain constant when such surges are removed, both crimes correlate to personal security habits. He emphasized that the vast majority of burglaries and larcenies on campus are neither armed nor forceful, occurring when students leave their rooms unlocked and their possessions in plain view.
“We keep telling people that these things don’t have to happen, that if they lock their doors and windows it’s almost a certainty that nothing is going to happen,” he said.
Public Safety Officer Simon Bostick agreed with this assessment.
“Students need to report anyone who shouldn’t be in your dorm or your house,” he said. “The vast majority of burglars get away with stealing because no one raises an eyebrow.”
Not all agree, however. Karl Grindal ’09 asserted that the more important issue may be not students’ habits but community standards.
“People need to be protective of their own things, true, but we as a community need to be safe and trustworthy,” he said. “It’s less important that we get people to be more careful than that we get people to stop stealing.”
The report also points to a decrease in liquor and drug violation referrals, recording 177 reported violations, respectively. For drug violations especially this stands in sharp contrast with 2003, when 22 were reported. The contrast was not as strong with liquor violations, though still significant; in 2003 Public Safety reported 216 referrals.
As in past years, the 2005 report records no incidents of major crimes. Homicide, hate crime, and weapon possession incidents remained steady at zero. However, Public Safety did report two incidents of car theft, a crime that did not occur in either 2003 or 2004.
In summing up his advice to students regarding lowering crime on campus, Meyer finished his comments by urging students to pay attention to Public Safety advisories.
“Most of our advisories are things that students should be doing already out of common sense,” he said.
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