Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Crime on Campus

  • By Deb Moore
  • 05/15/16

On May 4th the 18th edition of Indicators of School Crime and Safety, a joint publication of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) was released. The report is compiled from a number of statistical data sources supported by the federal government and provides us with the most recent data available.  While improvement was seen on some fronts, ground was lost on others where increases of 100 percent or more were seen.

Criminal Incidents: In 2013, there were 27,600 criminal incidents on campuses at postsecondary institutions that were reported to police and security agencies, representing an 8 percent decrease from 2012.

Residence Halls: In 2013, more on-campus crimes overall were reported at institutions with residence halls than at institutions without residence halls – 24.2 vs. 6.2 per 10,000 students.  For example, more burglaries were reported at institutions with residence halls than at institutions without residence halls (13.9 vs. 2.9 per 10,000 students), and more forcible sex offenses were reported at institutions with residence halls than at institutions without them (4.6 vs. 0.5 per 10,000 students).

Drug Law Violations:  The number of disciplinary referrals for drug law violations reported by postsecondary institutions increased between 2001 and 2013 from 23,900 to 54,100 – a 127 percent increase.  Arrests for drug law violations increased by 70 percent, from 11,900 in 2001 to 20,100 in 2013.

Liquor Law Violations: The number of disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations increased from 130,000 in 2001 to 190,900 in 2013 – a 47 percent increase.  The number of arrests for liquor law violations in 2013 (26,600) was lower than in any year between 2001 and 2012.

Weapons Possession: The number of disciplinary referrals for illegal weapons possession was lower in 2013 (1,400) than in 2006 (1,900), but it was higher than the number of such referrals in 2001 (1,300). The number of arrests for illegal weapons possession reported by postsecondary institutions was 3 percent lower in 2013 than in 2001 (1,000 vs. 1,100).

Sex Crimes: Between 2001 and 2013, the number of reported forcible sex crimes on campus increased from 2,200 in 2001 to 5,000 in 2013 – a 126 percent increase.  (Also of Note:  A 2015 study conducted by the Association of American Universities shows that when it comes to crimes of sexual assault or sexual misconduct only 28% or less of the most serious incidents are reported to and organization or agency.)

To find out more go to http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/index.asp.

Featured

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.