Soon after being named the fourth safest on-campus housing university by
thedailybeast.com, IU Southeast released the 2009 Crime and Fire Safety Annual Report. This report details all of the criminal activities that occurred on-campus last year.
The number of incidents reported in 2009 was slightly up from the previous years, but the criminal activity remained relatively minimal.
Monica Wise, IUS Police officer, said she credits the low crime rate on campus to the officers’ involvement with students.
“We take proactive approach in community policing,” Wise said. “Instead of sitting in a car, we get out and talk to students and faculty. [The department] establishes relationships with students, building a rapport so students feel comfortable talking to us.”
The highest amount of incidents reported was alcohol disciplinary referrals. Last year, there were 57 referrals reported on campus. This is up from 44 reported in 2008.
Another high-volume crime on campus was drug referrals — with a total of 19 reported. Of those, 15 occurred within the residential facilities. Both drug and alcohol referrals are handled by Ruth Garvey-Nix, vice chancellor of Student Affairs.
Within the brochure, the IUS Police said crime has been up since the introduction of dorms, but the amount of occurrences is fewer when compared to other campuses that are similar in size.
“Housing started in 2008, and, prior to that, we had students who commuted to campus,” Wise said. “[Students] came to campus and took their problems home with them.”
Of the alcohol disciplinary referrals, there were 20 actual alcohol violations. All of the violations occurred on campus, and one occurred in public.
“Those kinds of things are normal when you have students living on campus,” Wise said.
There were numerous categories of violations that did not happen on-campus. Some of the incidents that didn’t happen included manslaughter, arson, robbery, sex offenses and motor vehicle theft. Wise said these types of offenses are relatively low considering the campus is located in a metropolitan area where crime is more common.
IU Southeast experienced few violations outside of the drug- and alcohol-related offenses. There were two aggravated assault charges and one report of burglary.
The IUS Police maintains 24-hour surveillance on campus. With a total of 10 trained and certified officers, they handle the majority of the criminal activity that occurs on university-owned property.
Even though the IUS Police staff maintains surveillance, Wise stressed the importance of student involvement with the IUS Police.
“We always want students to feel comfortable reporting the things they see,” Wise said. “The more eyes that see things, the better we can act on it. We want you to come talk to us. What you think is not important may be important to us.”
If students have any questions regarding safety issues on campus, they can report their findings to the IUS Police by calling 812- 941-2400 or by visiting the office located in the University Center. The university also has an anonymous tip line that can be reached at 812-948-0684.
“We want students to have a conducive learning environment, and we want them to feel safe on-campus,” Wise said.
If any students are interested in seeing the annual crime report, brochures are available upon request in the IUS Police Office.
By HANNA WOODS
Staff
hrwoods@umail.iu.edu