UH releases its annual crime report, burglaries rise by more than 500 percent

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act — a federal mandate that requires all institutions participating in the federal student financial aid program to disclose information about on-campus crimes — UH released its crime statistics for 2012 based on 2011 reports to the UH Department of Public Safety. Burglary, motor vehicle theft and sex offenses increased from 2010 to 2011 while robbery and aggravated assault decreased during the same increment of time.

Sex offenses could include violations scaling from unwanted touching to rape, said Vice President of Safety Malcolm Davis. In 2009, there were six sex offenses. The number dropped to two in 2010, but rose back to six in 2011.

Burglaries rose from 14 to 74, a 528 percent increase, according to the UHDPS annual crime report. Police Chief Ceasar Moore said the residence halls burgled during winter break, and the process of recording this event, caused the increase.

“The way Clery works a series of events, you have to count those as individual events. During the holidays last year, one of the dorms was burglarized, and several dorm units were hit,” Moore said. “Even though it was one part of a criminal episode, each room that was violated is considered an individual act. The way that Clery counts, 30 of those events are a cause of that one break-in.”

Motor vehicle theft rose from 14 to 22, according to the report.

Davis said student and officer engagement is key to keeping campus safe.

“What we’re trying to do is break down the communications barrier. Basically there are 40,000 students and only 50 police officers,” Davis said. “So obviously, what you all see here on campus is much more than what a police report can. Most people don’t feel warm and fuzzy talking to someone in uniform.”

On college campuses, the little crimes, which many don’t notice, lead to larger crimes, Davis said.

“What is more important is the crime that doesn’t get reported. You’re at the library, and you leave your books on the table; you get up and come back, and your books are gone,” Davis said. “You don’t tell us.”

“We need to find out where the small things are so it’s easier to stop them before they get out of hand.”

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