Arrests for drug and alcohol up at USU, reveals crime statistics report
Drug and alcohol arrests are up and the amount of property lost through theft is down at Utah State University, according to the 2002 USU Police Department statistical report.
While any crime is too much crime, said USU Chief of Police Steve Mecham, overall USU has a safe campus.
“We feel fortunate we do have a safe campus and there are so few crimes,” Mecham said.
Mecham credits the increase in drug and alcohol arrests in part to the efforts of resident assistants and housing directors at USU’s Housing and Food Services.
“They’ve been willing to report problems. They’ve been extra eyes and ears,” Mecham said. “They keep problems nipped in the bud before they get out of hand.”
USU’s police department has a community officer who keeps open communication with Housing, Mecham said, attending their meetings and being available to take questions and concerns to the police department.
The monetary value of property stolen was halved, dropping from $94,199 in 2001 to $45,628 in 2002.
Jeremy Sanders, a senior majoring in horticulture, said he hasn’t had belongings stolen from him at USU.
“I’m from Colorado, and I’ve had tons of stuff stolen there,” Sanders said.
Mecham said, “Our thefts are virtually all crimes of opportunity. [Students] leave to go to the bathroom or whatever, come back, and stuff is gone.”
Mecham suggests a number of precautions students can take to protect their belongings, including locking up bikes and registering them with the Parking and Transportation Department, engraving initials or a unique number on calculators and keeping lockers in the Fieldhouse and HPER Building locked, even if the student is only leaving long enough to take a shower.
It is also a good idea to lock laptop computers in the trunk of the car rather than leaving them sitting on the seat, Mecham said.
“We used to say we have honest crooks [who only stole from unlocked cars],” Mecham said, “But anymore, people aren’t afraid to break windows.”
The report indicated the biggest hot spot of incidents is the area surrounding the Taggart Student Center, University Inn, Parking Terrace and University Center parking lot.
“That’s kind of the hub of campus, with a lot of activity going on,” Mecham said. “[Students] just need to make sure they lock the doors to their cars.”
Mecham said the number of crimes committed against a person, as opposed to property, is one indication of how safe a campus is.
Crimes against a person, such as assault, robbery and rape, constituted 1.9 percent of crimes reported, Mecham said. There were no reported aggravated assaults in 2002, while simple assaults were down from nine in 2001 to five in 2002.
Sex offenses are always a concern to the police department, Mecham said. One rape and five sexual assaults were reported in 2002. It has been estimated that only one in 10 rapes are reported, Mecham said.
Some students are aware of the possibility of sexual assault on campus.
“There are dark areas on campus. I can see it probably isn’t the best area for a girl to be,” Sanders said.
Leslie Chatterton, an undeclared freshman, said she feels safe on campus.
“I know the services the university police department has,” Chatterton said. “They’ll walk you to your car or your apartment if you’re studying at the library late.”
In the event a sexual assault does take place, the main goal of the police department is the welfare of the victim, Mecham said.
“Victims are in the driver’s seat, ” Mecham said. “They determine what action we take, if they just want the incident reported, if they just want to talk to the suspect and tell them it’s been documented, if they want to prosecute.”
Mecham said students can help police keep campus safe by promptly reporting suspicious incidents.
“If they ask, ‘Should I call?’ the answer is yes,” Mecham said. “We would rather answer a hundred false alarms than miss the one opportunity where we could have made a difference. If it’s nothing, we’ll come home and be grateful.”
heidithue@cc.usu.edu