The 2014 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report shows that drug and alcohol offenses are some of the most commonly reported on campus. The report, which was released this month, includes crime statistics at NC State from 2011 to 2013.
NC State Police Chief Jack Moorman said larceny still remains the biggest crime on campus, although larceny statistics are not included in the annual report.
Campus Police reported 479 disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations, 68 disciplinary referrals for drug abuse violations, 17 burglaries, and six sexual offenses for 2013 in the 2014 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
Since 2011, Campus Police have made 48 drug abuse and 111 liquor law arrests. Also since 2011, 274 people have been referred for disciplinary action for drug abuse and 1,538 people have been referred for liquor law violations.
The number of reported drug- and alcohol-related arrests has decreased since 2011. Campus police made 74 arrests for drug abuse violations and 37 arrests for liquor law violations in 2011 and made only 48 for drug abuse violations and 19 for liquor law violations in 2013.
While nationally considered to be vastly underreported, Campus Police has reported 20 forcible sexual assaults since 2011. However, statistics from the White House suggest 22 percent of college women have been victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse or threats of physical violence.
The categories of different crimes included in the report are all based on the definitions listed by the Department of Education, which all Campus Police are required to follow.
“For us, any incident or report of violent crime is too many,” said NC State Police Chief Jack Moorman. “We do not want crime to occur on our campus.”
Moorman said crime prevention begins with awareness, which is targeted on campus through the use of emergency notification systems. Wolf Alert notifications are used when there is an ongoing threat to campus community.
“If we have an incident and we make an arrest, there’s no ongoing threat so we wouldn’t send out an alert,” Moorman said. “WolfAlerts can also serve as a crime warning, which typically include email or text alerts informing faculty, students and staff that a crime has occurred on campus.”
A more immediate alert is known as an emergency notification, the WolfAlert siren system, which may be broadcasted throughout campus. These are typically reserved for tornadoes, shootings and other emergencies that require immediate action on the part of faculty, students and staff.
NC State’s police department stresses the importance of bystander intervention in crime prevention, according to Moorman.
“Safety is a shared responsibility,” Moorman said. “As the police department, we can’t do it alone. If you see something that’s not right, report it.”
The police department is currently developing strategies and techniques for promoting bystander intervention on campus.
However, some students refrain from calling NC State police because they feel as if there’s nothing to be done about their situation.
“My bike was stolen last year,” said Ivy Hubbard, second-year student studying nuclear engineering. “I didn’t have it registered with the police or anything, so I didn’t bother to report it because what could they have done?”
Larceny occurs more frequently than other crimes on campus, as it is often a crime of opportunity, Moorman said. Students often leave laptops and other valuable possessions in the library while they are taking a phone call or using the restroom.
“Take your items of value with you,” Moorman said. “People will also break into vehicles when they see valuables inside or find the car unlocked.”
To try and prevent larceny, Campus Police’s crime prevention unit offers an engraving and identification service for personal belongings. It will document the make, model and serial numbers of any valuables, as well as engrave driver’s license numbers onto items to aid in identification should it be lost and returned.
Moorman said he recommends students have their bikes registered with the police department, as police will provide bike decals for registered bikes, which can deter potential thieves. Bikes should always be locked up with a sturdy U-bolt lock, as most standard bike locks can easily be broken.
The police report also includes personal safety tips for students, including the safety escort program that operates between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
“We want to make sure we’re doing what we can to prevent people on campus from becoming the victims of crimes,” Moorman said. “Campus Police will provide safety escorts for students, faculty and staff on campus. We don’t want anyone walking on campus alone late at night. We will send somebody to pick you up or walk with you.”
