UP compiles 2005 crime statistics

University Police has compiled crime statistics for 2005. The verdict? The University is losing less property to theft, students are losing more, and alcohol violations are on the rise.

UP spokesman Sgt. Michael Klingebiel presented the numbers in a comparison with the ’04 numbers in a Student Government senate meeting two weeks ago. According to Klingebiel, the numbers will be unofficial until they are reviewed by the state, but he said the state rarely contests the numbers.

While there was little difference in most of the statistics, there were jumps in the dollar amount of University property and personal property lost due to criminal activity. In 2004, the University lost $402,060, and in 2005, the University lost $318,515.

Klingebiel said extra security measures such as card access to some buildings and rooms on campus helped reduce stolen University property.

Personal property losses jumped from $126,445 to $209,221, according to the report. Klingebiel said the reason for the jump was the amount of higher-priced objects such as laptops being stolen from cars.

Burglaries accounted for some of the property lost. In ’04 there were 169 burglaries. In 2005 that number jumped to 209. Part of the increase was credited to a rash of burglaries by a specific unnamed group around October, Klingebiel said.

Motor vehicle theft did not see an increase. There were a total of 49 incidents reported in both ’04 and ’05. However, a stolen canoe highlighted last year’s reports.

“It was stolen, and we have to report that (it) is actually under the motor vehicle category,” Klingebiel said.

There were slight increases in violent crime and aggravated assault reports; however, there were decreases in robbery, arson and serious crimes. The latter decrease was only 0.35 percent. Less serious crimes, such as vandalism and assaulting an officer, increased by 0.75 percent.Residential crimes also saw little change from ’04 to ’05.

There was a slight decrease in simple assault and theft, while narcotics-related crimes and burglaries saw increases. There were two sexual assaults in residence halls last year, while there were none in ’04. Liquor law violations saw the greatest increase, as they more than doubled from 55 in ’04 to 118 last year.

According to Klingebiel, on-campus crime has risen dramatically since the mid ’90s, but said population increases both on and around campus were responsible.

“With more population, there are more people victimizing or being victimized,” Klingebiel said.Theresa Kenna, a student living on campus, said she feels pretty safe, even after the recent murder.

“I think there’s not much more that you can do,” she said. “It’s just how people are.”Kenna added that she is comfortable with her belongings on campus, as long as she keeps her room locked.

The report also contained two reports for the top five campus buildings and top five Residence Halls with the highest criminal activity.

In 2005, Delta Hall toped the list with 34 crimes reported. In 2004, the Edge Apartments, formerly Fontana Hall, topped the list. The Edge is no longer part of campus residence halls.For campus buildings, the Phyllis P. Marshall Center topped the list of campus crime locations with 28 crimes reported in ’05, though it was not on the list in ’04.