Campus Security released the 2014 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which was printed yesterday. This report compiles the crime statistics of the last three school years — 2011, 2012 and 2013 — on campus. The report is printed each year in accordance with the Jean Clery Act as one of three transparency measures expected of all colleges. Along with the report, Elizabethtown College must maintain a daily crime and fire log and send security memos to the community, if alerted of a “dangerous” crime, like a robbery or a suspicious person on campus.
The annual report discloses the numbers of violations of alcohol and other drug, sexual harassment and dangerous materials policies, as well as bias-related incidents. Missing students and fires are also included in the yearly report. It also details the emergency plan on campus and the means by which Campus Security interacts with outside emergency personnel.
In the report, Campus Security has detailed the goals of the office: “to improve the quality of life for all those who come to our campus. Conflict resolution is our primary goal, accomplished through mutual cooperation and understanding, or, when necessary, through the imposition of administrative or other sanctions. Inherent in the application of these sanctions is that such actions shall align with College mission and values, policies and establishing protocol.” In order to attain the goals set by Campus Security, college crime is reported, handled and punished according to state and College laws.
The most common crimes on college campuses are violations of alcohol laws. The same is true of Elizabethtown College. Alcohol violations at Etown are broken up into two categories: referrals and arrests for liquor violations. In 2013 for on-campus (including residential), the statistics stood at four arrests for liquor violations and 134 referrals.
In comparison, the rates of alcohol-related arrests in 2011 and 2012 have been 10 and one, respectively. The incident rate of alcohol-related referrals were 183 in 2011 and 126 in 2012. The number of arrests has decreased from 10 in 2011 to four in 2013. In the same way, the rates of alcohol referrals decreased from 183 in 2011 to 134 in 2013. For the full details, refer to the security report, which is available via the Campus Security website or in the Campus Security office.
Despite the misconception that campus crime has increased, most of the statistics seem to suggest otherwise. Andrew Powell, director of campus security, explained that comparing this year’s crime statistics to last year’s is not entirely accurate, but if the crime rate remains the same, the campus will have fewer instances of crime this year. He also wanted to emphasize that crimes are cyclical.
“Some months can be busier than others,” Powell said. “In general, we tend to see more incidents that occur in the beginning of the fall semester … April, [and] May tend to be busier than January and February.”
In spite of the general decrease of campus crime, Campus Security suggests that students keep doors locked and never leave property unattended. While the culture of campus suggests this behavior is a safe practice, Campus Security asserts that it is safer to follow its recommendations. Instead of leaving belongings unattended, ask a friend to watch over them. Keep keys on your person to avoid leaving doors unlocked.
“Criminals are lazy,” Powell said. “They take advantage of opportunities like unlocked doors and property sitting out in the open. If we can reduce the opportunities to commit crimes, we can reduce the crime rate within our community.”
One of the selling points of campus life at the College has always been its safety. Situated in a small town with low crime rates and a community atmosphere, the College has a reputation as a secure environment. Tour guides often tell prospective students that leaving possessions on Marketplace tables won’t result in stolen wallets. They mention to parents that students can leave campus and expect the same level of security. For the most part, the report supported these assertions.