University Crime Stats
Crime statistics for 2000 were released for 6,269 post-secondary institutions Nov. 19 and are available on the United States Department of Education Web site, ope.ed.gov/security.
Institutions are required to report the number of murders, forcible sex offenses, non-forcible sex offenses, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, arson offenses and reports of negligent manslaughter for the previous three years, according to the Web site.
Utah State University, BYU and the University of Utah all reported crime statistics for the previous three years.
According to the information reported, neither murders nor negligent manslaughter occurred on any of the campuses.
BYU appears to be the safest of the three universities, reporting no non-forcible sex offenses, robberies or arson during the last three years.
BYU also had the fewest forcible sex offenses between 1998 and 2000, totaling five. USU followed with 11. The University of Utah had 25.
The administration at USU takes crime seriously, said John DeVilbiss, executive director of Public Relations. He said he has no doubt incoming students, especially co-eds, are influenced by the crime rate at a university.
“We have a very low crime rate,” DeVilbiss said. “That is one of selling points of the university.”
“The main reason is that we want students to be safe here,” he said. “We also want parents to feel good about sending kids to USU.”
He said the university provides some programs to ensure safety, like the escort service in which a co-ed can call USU Campus Police any time during the day or night and be escorted to her apartment.
DeVilbiss said the physical traits of USU were also made safer.
“We make sure we don’t have darkened areas where potential rapists can hide,” he said.
Shrubbery is also cut back and lighted, he said.
DeVilbiss said USU isn’t perfect yet, but is safer than other schools with a similar size nationally and in Utah.
“You need to look at statistics over the last decade or 20 years and you’ll see the university stands very, very well,” DeVilbiss said.
Carri Jenkins, assistant to the president for university communications at BYU, said one of the reasons the crime rate is low at BYU is the students choose to live in the environment BYU provides and desire to maintain it.
“While we don’t have a perfect crime rate,” Jenkins said. “The students are concerned about one another’s safety.”
Jenkins said the administration at BYU also wants students to attend school in a safe environment.
That safety is reflected in BYU’s consistent top-10 ranking by the Princeton Review which rates 331 universities’ quality of life, she said.
According to the Web site, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act requires institutions to collect crime statistics and distribute an annual security report to current students and employees.
According to the Web site, in addition to the required annual campus security report, schools are required to provide timely warning of the occurrences of crimes that are reported to campus security authorities and local police agencies. The timely warning information is to be provided in an appropriate manner so as to prevent similar crimes from occurring and to protect the personal safety of students and employees.