University Police reported an increase in crime on and around campus in 2002, but officials said the higher numbers are due largely to increased patrols.
Criminal incidences — crimes such as theft, trespassing, criminal damage to property, battery and sexual assault — increased by almost 25 percent to 1,126 incidences last year, according to the UP’s annual crime report. Traffic arrests more than quadrupled, jumping from 76 arrests in 2001 to 361 last year.
Only noncriminal incidents, like lost or damaged property, decreased significantly, by about 40 percent.
University Chief of Police Saul Chafin attributed much of the increase in criminal incidences to off-campus parties.
“A major issue last year was student conduct in off-campus housing,” Chafin said. “All of the parties in the beginning of the year really got away from us, but we don’t intend to let it do that again next fall.”
September and October showed the highest number of crime incidences. Chafin said these were the months with the biggest off-campus problems.
One NU administrator wasn’t alarmed by the increase.
“Statistics fluctuate from year to year,” said Eugene Sunshine, vice president for business and finance. “If you look at individual figures, they aren’t bad, considering the number of people who frequent this campus.”
Sunshine said NU remained a safe environment for students, faculty and administrators.
“Overall, we are proud because we have a very safe campus, and we are just working to maintain that,” he said.
The increase in UP patrols was spurred in part by requests from Evanston residents and the Evanston Police Department to aid with off-campus problems.
“We respond to those complaints by concentrating our officers in certain areas in order to eradicate problems,” Chafin said. “More contact with more people means more visibility and more arising concerns.”
Chafin said next year UP will work closely with the NU administration and pass out fliers to off-campus students reminding them of city ordinances about parties.
“The department is undertaking some different resources to preclude these numbers from occurring again,” Chafin said. “The first day kids arrive, we’re ready to party patrol.”
An increase in UP patrols also netted a higher number of traffic arrests last year, according to Assistant Chief Dan McAleer. UP stepped up its traffic patrol after several residents complained about dangerous drivers around NU.
“We have legit reasons for getting involved with traffic stops,” McAleer said. “We have no incentive to conduct traffic stops, because we don’t get any reward. In fact, it costs us money to send our officers to court. Our goal is just to create a safe environment for driving.”
While police and the administration are working to decrease campus crime, Chafin and McAleer said NU students can help the effort.
“A lot of crimes can be prevented if students do small things,” McAleer said. “Protecting personal property, locking rooms, keeping people from entering dorms, not letting people piggy-back when they come in the building, and calling when students see someone out of place can prevent a lot of unwanted crime.”
